China's 245mph train service, built in 4 years.

[Metroland]

In the week that Britain's high speed rail link closed down because the wrong sort of snow interfered with the engine's electronics, China unveiled the world's fastest train service on one of the coldest days of the year.

Days after thousands of passengers were left stranded when Eurostar services were cancelled, China's new system connects the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 217mph - and it took just four years to build.

The super-high-speed train reduces the 664-mile journey to just a three-hour ride and cuts the previous journey time by more than seven-and-a-half hours, the official Xinhua news agency said.

In September, officials said they planned to build 42 high-speed lines by 2012 in a massive system overhaul as part of efforts to spur economic growth amid the global downturn.

Read more: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/...-completed-just-FOUR-years.html#ixzz0aq2EICLh

 

[cawky22]

WOW-that is some going,thanks for posting.

 

[adamp]

Chinese have always been one step ahead.

 

[Wyvern]

They have the land to do it, the distance to cover and the punters to pay the fares.

 

[Flywaver]

The revenue speed is 350km/h (217mph) Not 245mph!? That was a test run speed...

 

[starrymarkb]

Well unlike Britain there will little/no compensation for the compusery purchases, no health and safety at all (life is cheap) etc etc

 

[A60K]

Chinese have always been one step ahead.

erm... opening a high-speed line 40 years after the Japanese, 30 years after the French, 20 years after the Germans and Spanish - not exactly one step ahead! When I went to China 13 years ago I was amazed how far behind it was in getting things that the Western world has considered normal for the past 50-100 years. It's only in the last 5-10 years that China has really started to catch up, but it's still not on a par with Western development. Or were you getting mixed up with Japan?

 

[royaloak]

But dont forget this bit-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7938786.stm

Maybe if we had put this money to our own use me might be further forward.

 

[Drsatan]

Don't forget, it was built in five years because China has a huge workforce, there was the political spirit for it, and China doesn't **** around with public inquiries. Furthermore, when HS2 is (eventually, if ever) built if it has to cut across your land you could land an objection and delay construction; in China if you protested against your house being demolished to make way for a high-speed line you'd be locked up.

 

[jopsuk]

...or worse. Also, they've had to buy-in trains- the CRH3 units running on the fast services are Siemens Velaro based; they've also got E2 Shinkansens and Pendolinos.

this was their own attempt.

 

[gingerheid]

They also have an extensive and rather more old-fashioned non-highspeed network that I believe had more serious problems than ours when cold weather hit at the time of Chinese new year.

 

[richa2002]

Don't forget, it was built in five years because China has a huge workforce, there was the political spirit for it, and China doesn't **** around with public inquiries. Furthermore, when HS2 is (eventually, if ever) built if it has to cut across your land you could land an objection and delay construction; in China if you protested against your house being demolished to make way for a high-speed line you'd be locked up.

You make it sound like public inquiry is a bad thing. I'd be pretty miffed if I was told I had to move out of my house, no questions asked.

 

[Drsatan]

You make it sound like public inquiry is a bad thing. I'd be pretty miffed if I was told I had to move out of my house, no questions asked.

Public inquiries tend to delay projects and push costs up. This is a bit off-topic but remember it took 20 years to plan, design and build Terminal 5 at Heathrow because of the endless public inquiries surrounding the project? By contrast, Beijing's new airport was designed and built in four years.

 

[flymo]

Just make sure you don't smoke on board though

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/31/content_9249192.htm

 

[tinyanmcw]

Just make sure you don't smoke on board though

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/31/content_9249192.htm

CRH should ban people smoking

 

[Flywaver]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China

Further down this page its quite an eye opener of how many high speed lines and how quick they are being built! hock:

 

[tinyanmcw]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China

Further down this page its quite an eye opener of how many high speed lines and how quick they are being built! hock:

Here in hong kong is still arguring ... many people disagree to build a high speed line here .......

 

[jon0844]

Well unlike Britain there will little/no compensation for the compusery purchases, no health and safety at all (life is cheap) etc etc

You might be right about the compulsory purchasing, but China seems very big on H&S now.