China Railway Development News

[LtBk]

Errr.....that isn't a good thing Beijing.

Not all Western suburbs are the same like the US model.

[ANR]

ERTMS order for China high-speed line
Published on 25 July 2008

A consortium formed by Ansaldo STS and Chinese firm HollySys has won the signalling and control systems contract for a new high-speed railway line in China, incorporating European-standard ERTMS Level 2 technology.
The 300km/h passenger line will be 460km long, linking Zhengzhou in Henan province and Xi’an in Shaanxi province. It is one of three high-speed train projects for which the Chinese Ministry of Railways has decided to use ERTMS (European Railway Traffic Management System).

The contract to design, build and operate the signalling and control system is worth RMB660m (£49m), of which the HollySys share is RMB151m (£11m). The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Ansaldo STS is the technology leader on the project. A partnership agreement with HollySys covers local production of components and equipment, and the two companies will also create a joint venture for the future supply of ERTMS for high-speed rail links throughout China.

Earlier this year Nortel announced that it had been chosen to provide a highly secure GSM-R wireless network for communications between trains and ground staff along the line.

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/3557/ermtszhenzhouxianht2.png

[Knuddel Knutsch]

By Lydia Chen | 2008-8-18 |

THE construction of the high-speed magnetic-levitation train linking Shanghai and Hangzhou has finally been given the go-ahead after more than a year of hold-ups.

While it was originally hoped that the line would be completed in time for Shanghai World Expo in 2010, that is now the year that construction is scheduled to begin.

The project was suspended amid widespread concerns among local residents that their health may be adversely affected by radiation from passing trains.

The provincial government of Zhejiang announced the decision in a 2008-2012 major construction-project plan, which included the building of a 13.42-billion-yuan (US$1.935-billion) Shanghai-Hangzhou passenger railway from 2009 to 2013, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

The Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev line is expected to be completed by 2014 at a cost of 22 billion yuan, according to the Zhejiang plan.

However, the plan did not specify an exact route.

From 2008 to 2012, 6.5 billion yuan of the cost should be allocated, and the provincial office supervising the Maglev project should finish preliminary work of site selection of the Zhejiang section and environment evaluation this year, the plan said.

Total length of the Maglev line will be extended to 199.434 kilometers from 175 kilometers, including a section that connects the two cities and a minor section that links Shanghai's two international airports.

Trains on the Maglev track are expected to hit speeds of 450kmh, meaning a one-way trip will take only 30 minutes. At present bullet trains take 90 minutes.

The new Maglev route willbe separated from communities along its course in Shanghai by a greenbelt22.5 meters wide each side.


http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=370753&type=Metro

[staff]

That's, what, the 12th time that maglev line is approved? I won't believe it's going down until I see some cranes working it...

[Knuddel Knutsch]

its about the 100th time that is approved.... ;) and nothing happened, so far.

I also dont believe it any more...

Dont know why Shanghai-Daily brings this news every 6 months, time and again....

[hoosier]

China gets these big infrastructure projects approved and built quickly. I wish it was the same in the U.S. HSR helps the environment so there shouldn't be much opposition from the environmental community.

We can have democracy and good infrastructure that isn't delayed too much.

[ANR]

From Railway Age on August 19 & other sources:

For EMD, a Chinese first

Electro-Motive Diesel’s first locomotive for China, an EMD-designed JT56ACe diesel-electric manufactured jointly with CNR Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. (DLoco), left the factory in Dalian China, last month. The locomotive is China’s first 6,000-hp diesel-electric. DLoco and EMD will manufacture 300 JT56ACes for the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MoR).

“The JT56Ace was built with the needs of the Chinese market in mind,” EMD said. It is equipped with several EMD technologies, among which are dual isolated driver’s cabs, EMD’s type 265H 6,000-hp diesel engine, electronic fuel injection, a.c. traction, microcomputer control, and the ability to function in three-unit consists. Starting tractive effort is 69,700 pounds; continuous tractive effort is 65,000 pounds. The JT56ACe also includes EMD’s collision protection package, which EMD says “improves locomotive durability and driver safety.” With a 23.7-tons axle load, EMD says the JT56ACe “is the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive in the world at such a low axle load.” It can pull up to 4,900 tons at a maximum speed of 75 mph. Crew comfort was also taken into account with a microwave oven, air conditioning, refrigerator, and toilet.

EMD’s participation in the Chinese railway market began in 2001 with the licensing of radial truck technology. “With the localization of the JT56ACe, EMD looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the MoR, Chinese suppliers, and other Chinese customers,” EMD said.

In September 2005 EMD signed an agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MoR) and Dalian Locomotive Works (DLoco) for the supply of three hundred 6,000 horsepower locomotives, EMD's most powerful diesel-electric locomotive. The locomotives feature the latest heavy haul traction systems used on North America's major Class l railways and are being jointly designed and manufactured with DLoco under a technology license in Dalian, China.

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/8692/jt56acexu2.png

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3923/hxn30001asd3.png

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7063/hxn300001dy6.png

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2545/jt56ace1mt6.png

[ANR]

From Railway Age on 8/21:

GE power en route to China

In October 2005, GE Transportation signed a $450 million contract with the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) for 300 6,000-hp Evolution® Series CMLs (“China Mainline Locomotives”). The first of two fully assembled pilot locomotives, CML 50001, is on its way to Tianjin Port in Tianjin, China, and is expected to arrive on Aug. 30. After being transferred to the Tanggu Depot for inspection, CML 50001 will make its way to Beijing.

The CML series is configured a bit differently than GE’s North American Evolution Series locomotive. With a peak output of 6,250 hp, the locomotive produces about 40% more power (compared to 4,400 hp) and weighs 30% less than its western cousin. “The lighter weight design increases the eco-friendly properties of the locomotive,” GE says. “The Ecomagination-certified GEVO 16-cylinder engine generates 84% fewer emissions and increases fuel efficiency by 3-5%,” compared to a non-Evolution Series locomotive.

The balance of the CML order will be assembled in China at Qishuyan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works (QSY) in Changzhou, using kits manufactured in Erie. Kits began shipping on May 18, 2008; delivery is expected to be completed by year-end 2009. QSY is to begin assembling locomotives in October, with all 300 CMLs delivered by June 2010. GE established three onsite teams in Changzhou, Chengdu, and Zhuzhou consisting of 20 local Chinese manufacturing and quality engineers to provide technical support for assembling the 298 kits.

“The MOR sought a product that would significantly improve hauling capability and running speed on China’s main lines, while at the same time reducing emissions to meet increasingly rigorous Chinese environmental requirements,” said GE Transportation China President Tim Schweikert. “The locomotive they will receive will meet and exceed those requirements.” He noted that GE is three months ahead of the original contract schedule.

From Erie Times-News on 8/21:

GE train engine China- bound
By Jim Martin

They're waiting for a train to arrive in Beijing.

Officials from Erie-based GE Transportation held a joint press conference Thursday with officials from the Chinese Ministry of Rail to announce the impending arrival of the first of 300 locomotives. The Chinese government placed the $450 million order in 2005.

The locomotive, which was loaded on a ship in the Port of Philadelphia, is one of just two that will be shipped whole and fully assembled. The remaining 298 locomotives will be shipped as kits, with the Chinese contributing more parts as the process moves along.

"It's on a boat right now. It's going to be here in days, and it's the first of 300 locomotives we are going to deliver," said Stephan Koller, a spokesman for the General Electric Co. unit.

The China Mainline Locomotive that will be arriving soon in China is based on the Evolution series, designed to reduce fuel costs and emissions. But it might not look familiar to Erie residents accustomed to seeing GE locomotives on local tracks. That's because this one was built specifically for the needs of the Chinese. "This is a newly designed and engineered heavy-hauling locomotive," Koller said. "It's more than 6,000 horsepower. The ones we use in North America are 4,400 horsepower. It's a 40 percent increase in power, but a 30 percent reduction in weight."

GE officials are hinting that more business from China could be on the way. GE Chief Executive Jeff Immelt said earlier this week that he expects GE's China business to double to $10 billion by 2010. "We've seen great growth in China," Immelt said in an interview with the International Herald Tribune in Beijing. "I think the whole focus on water and the environment, that's going to offer, we think, big opportunities for us as time goes on." That could also bode well for sales of the CML 50001, the Evolution-based locomotive being built for use in China. Koller stressed that no contracts have been signed and no deals struck, but that strong possibilities exist for both.

Koller said the Ministry of Rail has an aging fleet of 5,000 to 6,000 locomotives. "They will need to be replaced in years to come," Koller said. "The 300 locomotives we are delivering now, if they perform as we expect they will perform, it will position us well to be considered for replacing the aging locomotive fleet." That wouldn't necessarily translate into selling new locomotives. "If you have older locomotives, you have two choices," Koller said. "You can buy a brand-new locomotive or you take a locomotive that has been in service for many years and you can modernize it. It's the ultimate form of recycling."

Among the locomotives that might be considered for modernizing are Erie-built GE locomotives shipped to China in the 1980s, Koller said. There's reason to believe the Chinese might not wait 20 years before placing their next locomotive order. Koller said the government says it plans to invest $160 billion to upgrade the country's rail infrastructure between now and 2011. "There is huge potential," Koller said.

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/5223/hxn50001my5.png

[Knuddel Knutsch]

^^^^great locomotives, great development.

But why do they have to be so fu**** ugly?

[snow is red]

^^ Aren't locomotive supposed to be ugly ?

[Knuddel Knutsch]

not necessarily.

I think there are quite some beautyfull locomotives around. Electric- as well as Diesel locomotives. Passenger-, as well as Freight locomotives.

I know that this becomes off topic, so I stop at this point, but I post links to some pics:
Maybe, if one of the chinese bureaucrats reads this thread: Pleas build some beautyfull locomotives next time. They dont cost more, just beacause the look better.

Taurus (http://www.auran.com/trainz/database/images/taurus/1016_006.jpg)

V200-One of the most beautfyfull diesels I know (http://lh4.ggpht.com/_04OT6a0u-yU/SAuUVMv0SuI/AAAAAAAAACM/KhAz2gKYM8U/DSC_0002.JPG)

Eurorunner Diesel-loco. At least with a little bit of industrial design-attempts (http://www.railcolor.net/images/basic/siem_21248_51.jpg)

Bombaridier Electro-Cargo-Loco (http://www.railcolor.net/images/basic/bomb_33454_50.jpg)

not beautyfill but at least all-right-looking. (http://www.railcolor.net/images/basic/bomb_34349_53.jpg)

[Matchut]

How's the service on Chinese trains these days?

[foxmulder_ms]

Raw power, cost, and efficiency is important here not the look :D :D But really they look like 20 years old already

[BarbaricManchurian]

How's the service on Chinese trains these days?

Mostly, it's you get what you pay for. The low-class tickets are not so bad, and the high-class tickets are not so good. Of course, you'd probably get restless in a "hard seat" (lowest class seat) in a 40 hour train ride, so the service is mostly subjective.

[crazymummyboy]

I like steam trains

[UD2]

^^^^great locomotives, great development.

But why do they have to be so fu**** ugly?

freight train locos... nobody's gonna look at them unless they're are real fans. And most real fans will find them pleasing to the eye no matter how they look =-)))

[ANR]

HLS Systems International Announces Signing of a $22 Million High Speed Railway Control Systems Contract

Wed Jul 16, 2008

BEIJING
HLS Systems International, Ltd. today announced that the Company, along with its partner
Ansaldo STS, has been awarded a contract by the People's Republic of
China (PRC) Ministry of Railways for the design, construction,
implementation, and maintenance of a new 300 kilometer per hour high
speed rail line. When completed, this rail line will span 459
kilometers, or approximately 285 miles, and link Zhengzhou in Henan
province and Xi'an in Shaanxi province.

The project was awarded to a consortium formed by HLS and Ansaldo
STS, a leading technology company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange
that operates in the global Railway and Mass Transit Transportation
Systems business. The total contract value amounts to RMB660 million,
or approximately US$97 million, with HLS' portion for the control
system amounting to RMB151 million, or approximately US$22 million.
HLS will begin recognizing revenues upon the commencement of the
project in the current quarter. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Dr. Wang Changli, HLS' Chief Executive Officer commented, "The 300
kilometer per hour high speed train will be one of the fastest
passenger trains in China and we are very excited to announce that HLS
has been awarded the automation control system contract for this
prestigious project. We have been successful in implementing our
control systems in the current 200 kilometer per hour high speed rail
lines in China and this new contract for the more advanced 300
kilometer per hour rail line is a testament to our high quality system
design and performance.

HLS is one of only five companies authorized by China's Ministry
of Railways to provide automation control systems for its railway
systems, one of only three companies that have the capability to
provide control systems for high speed rail networks and one of only
two companies able to provide automation systems for trains with
speeds of 300 kilometers per hour or greater. Based on our track
record and close cooperation with the Ministry of Railways, we believe
that HLS is well positioned to receive additional contracts in this
300 kilometer per hour rail category."

HLS Systems International has become one of the leading automation
systems providers in the PRC, developing a number of core technologies
and completing numerous projects utilizing a wide array of automation
products.

[ANR]

China Railway Group Units Win Share of Shanghai-Nanjing High-speed Rail Projects

7/8/2008

China Railway Group Ltd said four units have won a share in the construction of the new Shanghai-Nanjing high-speed rail line. The units are China Railway Erju Co Ltd, China Railway No.3 Engineering Group, China Railway No.4 Engineering Group and China Railway No.10 Engineering Group, Xinhua reports.

The company did not give a total contract value in a statement filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange, but it noted that the four contract awards represent the equivalent of 3.82 pct of the company's operating revenue last year. China Railway Group booked operating revenue of 180.51 bln yuan under Chinese accounting standards in 2007.

In a separate statement filed by listed unit China Railway Erju to the Shanghai bourse, Erju disclosed that its contract is worth 2.55 bln yuan with a completion time of 533 days.

[henrypan123]

Beijing - Tainjin High Speed rail


BEIJING SOUTH RAILWAY STATION
http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_434424bb9fd48c05b7c8GzRQKJmN7Fmn.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_bdd67569b74625aae4ecabsEHAtiGUFW.jpg

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http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_932cee7d61c20ff222b36aA6EPFGNDNy.jpg

[henrypan123]

Photos taken on the CRH trains

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_38842c51e23e6485a3capLYJX2TKFpRd.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_a7e5ebbba1e74f2aedbbP04rbkME25fc.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_27f593c2d6ed2d859142r97skoDZDduu.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_95b3bca41ccb15399da56n4aU7Q7446L.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_a516239d79d71fb5bef1D6Z9PL6vBen2.jpg

[staff]

344 km/h! I didn't know they were operating at such high speed in commercial use.

[snow is red]

Work on city's high-speed rail lines moves at full steam

2008-8-28

HIGH-SPEED passenger rail lines are being built in Shanghai and three nearby provinces with investment on the new projects to reach 196.3 billion yuan (US$28.7 billion) this year, the Shanghai Railway Administration said yesterday.

SRA manages rail transport in Shanghai, neighboring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and part of nearby Anhui Province.

SRA officials said the national authority planned to start building 18 new rail lines in the region this year, most of which would be for passenger transport. The lines would be designed with improved capacity and speed.

Of the total budget for railway construction this year, about 181 billion yuan has been earmarked to set up new lines and about 15.3 billion yuan allocated to upgrade and extend existing lines.

Of the new projects, the Shanghai-Nanjing passenger express has been praised by authorities for its efficiency and capacity. The new train shuttles on the line are expected to arrive at stops at three-minute intervals between Shanghai and Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province.

Bullet trains traveling at 220 kilometers an hour will serve the new passenger line.

Officials said the last of the residents living on the railway route in Jiangsu Province would be relocated by the end of the month and their houses demolished. Construction of the railway began on July 1. It is scheduled to open for service before July 1, 2010.

The project of Shanghai-Beijing express line was also launched in July.

When completed in 2010, the high-speed line will reduce train travel between Shanghai and Beijing from 12 hours to five hours.

Railway officials said new projects in the region likely to start before the end of the year included the passenger line between Hangzhou and Ningbo, both in Zhejiang Province, a line between Nanjing and Hangzhou, and another line between Nanjing and Anqing in Anhui Province.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=371761&type=Metro

[henrypan123]

Tianjin Railway Station
http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_b48ddb6f9831ac5bf95biM5vxXQ5u0YG.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_8f2c0036b24e41e053890z4xrHIWGi6l.jpg

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http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20080826_57d21501e0c830b33811l2t0Hitcmntz.jpg

[ANR]

From Shanghai Daily on 8/29:

Maglev link eyed to Lingang
Created: 2008-8-29
Author:Dong Hui


THE Shanghai magnetic-levitation train line will be extended south into Nanhui District from Pudong International Airport, according to an urban planning blueprint published on a government Website yesterday.

The high-speed line that powers trains on a bed of magnetic energy, will extend south from the airport to Lingang New City, then turn west and terminate in Fengxian District. The plan was disclosed by the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau.

The Maglev track is part of a plan to integrate the newly developed Nanhui District with the shipping economy. Nanhui is about 27.5 kilometers from Yangshan Deep-Water Port, and the Maglev service will be a big help for residents and businesses located in the area.

Industries here will be able to tap advanced manufacturing and port logistics.

Lingang New City in Nanhui District is a township that stretches across 55.3 square kilometers and can accommodate 830,000 residents.

"The line extension will definitely be a boost for Lingang New City," said a Nanhui District official who declined to be named.

In addition to the new Maglev track, Metro Line 11 will lead directly to Lingang New City by 2012. Route planning for Metro Lines 2, 18 and 21 has also been done, according to Xu Ming with the urban planning bureau.

However, the Maglev extension plan is still in its nascent stage.

"Further studies are needed on the Maglev line," the planning document said.

An environmental impact study will have to be conducted and public opinion will be solicited.

According to the city's planning blueprint, the Maglev line will eventually link Shanghai's two airports with east Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, a connection that would cut commuting time between the two cities to 30 minutes.
________________________________________

I have seen some recent comments indicating their dis-belief that Shanghai may extend the current Maglev system. The following from the Shanghai Daily on 11/22/08 makes me believe that eventually Shanghai will expand their Maglev system:

Green light for maglev factory in Shanghai
Updated：2007-11-22


Shanghai is planning to build a low-speed Maglev train-manufacturing factory in suburban Nanhui District. The factory, which will cover an area of 230,000 square meters, is designed to generate 60 Maglevs and 300 levitation frames each year.

Each train will have a maximum speed of about 100 kilometers per hour, compared with the Maglev that runs between Longyang Road and Pudong International Airport and hits 430kmh. Xu Jianguo, president of the Shanghai Electric Co Ltd, the train manufacturer, said the lower-speed models will be quieter and more eco-friendly. Preliminary scientific research has been completed and the firm will start construction of the train and frame-production plant with a fixed-asset investment of 310 million yuan (US$42 million).

The information came after the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference yesterday held a seminar about the planning of Lingang New City in Nanhui. The small city, close to the Yangshan Deep-Water Port, will cover a total area of 296.5 square kilometers and have an estimated population of 800,000 by 2020.

[:jax:]

Is there any map over Chinese high-speed railways, like the one made for Europe (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=549274)?

[Knuddel Knutsch]

@ANR Everyone whos into the topic knows that right now, there is aboslutely nothing going on concerning any kind of possible maglev extension.

They are only producing on press release after another, but not one single meter of maglev extension was built over the last 5 years (yes, its already 5 years, that the maglev in Shanghai is in operation---unbelievable.)

The first time, that an extension to Lingang was proposed was back in 2005.

I dont see any progress over the last years---especially compared to the size and speed that other projects in China are being realized. This shows that there is in fact no real political will.

Are there any maps showing the possible extension to Lingang btw?

[foxmulder_ms]

It is wonderful to see top nutch bullet trains of both Europe and Japan next to each other. They look awsome..

[snow is red]

China plans to beat own fastest train service record
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7765688
Reuters, Monday September 1 2008

BEIJING, Sept 1 (Reuters) - China plans to beat its own record for the world's fastest train service when a new link between Beijing and Shanghai opens by 2012, a state newspaper reported on Monday. The domestically developed train would run at 380 kpk (236 mph), slicing five or more hours off the current journey to just four hours, the official China Daily quoted Zhang Shuguang, the Ministry of Railways' deputy chief engineer, as saying.

China already claims the record for the fastest train service in the world, for the Beijing-Tianjin line, though there are trains in France which have higher operational speeds.

"We have mastered core technologies in terms of manufacturing high-speed trains and made innovative achievements in the process," he said.

"It is possible that we can start to manufacture 380-kph trains in two years' time, and put them into service on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway," Zhang added.

That line was expected to open in 2012, one year ahead of schedule, the newspaper said.

The new trains would also provide a stiff challenge to airlines, which put on dozens of 1-1/2-hour flights between the two cities a day.

China has invested billions of dollars upgrading its rail network, rolling out sleek new trains and extending the line even as far as the remote Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

A new express line from Beijing to its neighbouring city of Tianjin which opened last month in time for the Olympics reaches top speeds of 350 kmp. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard)

[Knuddel Knutsch]

:applause::applause::applause:

380 km/h vmax and a total travel time between Beijing and Shanghai of 4 hours (!)

Somehow this high-speed rail development in China starts scaring me ;) (cant wait to ride it)

[33Hz]

Not sure how we are getting a journey time of 4h at 380 km/h when the journey time was 5h at 350km/h, but if China can get to this speed in public service I wish them well.

[Andrew]

Those pictures look great, I'm really impressed with the progress that China has made with high speed rail.

[snow is red]

Full steam ahead for rail plan

2008-09-02


BEIJING, Sept. 2 -- The development of China's railway network will include the construction of 548 railway stations within the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10), a senior official from the Ministry of Railways, said yesterday.

"Twenty-eight new stations have already been completed, 58 are under construction and 210 are in the design stage," Zheng Jian, the ministry's deputy chief engineer, told China Daily.

Last month, Beijing South - the largest in the country - and Tianjin railway stations opened for business at the two ends of a new high-speed intercity service, he said.

In the coming years, as more high-speed routes are added, the ministry plans to develop six passenger transport hubs - Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu - and 10 regional hubs, with local railway stations upgraded to deal with the increased numbers of travelers, he said.

But it is not only the hubs that are looking to upgrade their facilities, Zheng said.

In Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, for example, plans have been drawn up to build a station with 30 platforms, more than at Beijing South, he said.

Local governments have realized that their existing railway stations are too small to satisfy the demands brought about by rapid economic development, he said.

"Cities like Hangzhou and Nanjing know that being linked to the high-speed rail network will have a hugely positive impact on their economies, and that is why they want to build big stations, Zheng said.

"However, we will continue to stress that while the construction of large railway stations is fine, they must adhere to the basic principles of economy and not be overly lavish in their decoration," he said.

One Beijing woman said he was pleased to see all the new railway stations being built in the capital.

"Railway stations are no longer shabby or overcrowded like they used to be," commuter Zhang Tao said yesterday.

"They are more like airports," she said.

Under the Ministry of Railways' mid- to long-term plan, the nationwide, high-speed rail network will be extended to 12,000 km by 2020.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/02/content_9752737.htm

[snow is red]

China's railway investment hits $19.6 bln in first 7 months

2008-09-08


BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's railway investment soared 37.5 percent from January to July. The numbers are attributed to a building boom of high-speed lines and the country's desire to link together poor regions.

The investment reached 133.78 billion yuan (19.6 billion U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Railways (MOR) said on Monday.

More people than ever are using railways. In the first 7 months of the year trains carried 855.3 million passengers, up 12.6 percent from the same period last year. Cargo volume was 1.94 billion tons, up 6.8 percent from a 2007.

The MOR had planned to invest 1.25 trillion yuan (182.6 billion U.S. dollars) in railway building and renovation through 2010 extending the train network by 17,000 kilometers.

China started construction on the 1,318-km-long Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway on April 18. The train is designed to run 350km per hour. The total project cost 220.9 billion yuan (32.3 billion U.S. dollars).

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/08/content_9856674.htm

[snow is red]

New highway-railway bridge sets world records

2008-09-10

The middle section of China's longest road and rail bridge is now complete. The Tianxingzhou Bridge, with it's combined four railroad tracks and six traffic lanes, crosses the Yangtze River in Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei province.

As the world's first bridge with four rail lines, the main span over water extends 504 meters, surpassing the Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, said general designer Gao Zongquan.

Built at a cost of 11 billion yuan ($1.61 billion), the 4,657-meter cable suspension bridge will open to traffic in the first half of next year after the completion of road surfacing and laying rail tracks.

Tianxingzhou Bridge has a designed load capacity of 20,000 tons, holding more weight than any other rail-road bridge in the world. Trains can pass over it at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, said Gao.

The bridge will be a key part of China's major rail transport network and will make Wuhan a leading railway transport hub following Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Wuhan is the largest industrial city on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/10/content_7015973.htm

[zergcerebrates]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2836074238_01f5fe6f68_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2835236121_8f29d1e22c_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2749210611_f4b4ae5c14_b.jpg

from flickr

[snow is red]

China Railway Group wins $1.4 bln subway contract

Thu Sep 18, 2008


SHANGHAI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - China Railway Group the country's largest railway and highway builder, said on Friday it had won a subway construction contract worth a provisional total of 9.5 billion yuan ($1.39 billion).

The 42-month project calls for building a 40-km (25 mile) subway system in the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong. The contracted amount is equivalent to 5.26 percent of the company's 2007 turnover under Chinese accounting rules.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSSHA9088420080919

[snow is red]

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway construction gets under way

2008-09-18


BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- China has started construction on1,059 km, or 80 percent, of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in the five months since the project kicked off.

Construction on the rest of the project was awaiting preliminary work, such as land confiscation.

Nearly 100,000 workers and engineers are involved in the 31.6-billion-U.S.-dollar project, and they will use 21,000 pieces of machinery, according to the leading group of the project.

The key part of the project, a bridge spanning the Yangtze River in Nanjing, has seen 10 of its piers installed, with one left.

The 1,318-km railway line, with a designed speed of 350 km per hour, is expected to welcome passengers in five years.

Upon completion, the line would cut the travel time between the capital of Beijing and the financial hub of Shanghai in half, to five hours.

It would also lift the one-way transport capacity to 80 million passengers and more than 100 million tonnes of cargo annually, so as to ease the burden on the existing line.

The line would traverse Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu before reaching Shanghai.


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/18/content_10075362.htm

[snow is red]

China Railway wins contracts worth $334 million


Wed Sep 24, 2008


SHANGHAI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - China Railway Group the country's largest railway and highway builder, said on Thursday that four of its subsidiaries had won four contracts worth a total of 2.28 billion yuan ($334 million).

The value of the contracts is equivalent to 1.27 percent of the company's 2007 sales under domestic accounting standards, the company said in a filing carried by the official Shanghai Securities News.

The contracts include building a major railway station in the southern city of Fuzhou and construction of highways and railways in China's Guangdong and Sichuan provinces, the company said

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSSHA18375420080924

[hoosier]

I am so jealous of China's HSR. My hat goes off to the government for investing so heavily in rail transport.

[Peloso]

Can you say blazing-fast development?

[snow is red]

Construction work starts on Lanzhou-Chongqing railway


2008-09-27


Work on a major railway connecting Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, with the southwestern city of Chongqing, began in Lanzhou on Friday.

The 820-km, double-line electrified railway, co-invested by the Railway Ministry, Gansu and Sichuan provinces and Chongqing Municipality, is expected to open to traffic in 2014.

The railway will cut the distance on the route from 1,466 km to 820 km and the travel time from 22 hours to 6 and a half.

Fares will fall, too, to about two-thirds of the past, according to forecasts by rail authorities.

Trains are expected to run at 160 km per hour, with a daily capacity of 50 trains.

The line "is conducive to optimizing the railway layout, improving the transportation quality and promoting the development of western China," Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang told a launch ceremony.

Investors will put 2 billion yuan ($293 million) into environmental protection, accounting for 2 percent of the total cost, according to China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Ltd.

The May 12 earthquake had a minor effect on the railway. The railway designers used a detour around geologically dangerous areas, said Huang Yanbin, chief designer.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/27/content_7066404.htm

[foxmulder_ms]

So the total cost is around 14.7 billion $?

[snow is red]

^^ more like 77.4 billion yuan (11.3 billion U.S. dollars)

http://en.ce.cn/Industries/Transport/200809/27/t20080927_16936436.shtml

[Euromax]

amazing! budget and development! ;), i would love to visit China and use there railways! :D

[Euromax]

^^ Aren't locomotive supposed to be ugly ?

ahh its good to keeep up with tradition and modern :lol:

[Railfan]

Some new about the Mavlev system?

[serdar samanlı]

How much of Chinese RR network is double-track?

[snow is red]

Railway to be constructed to connect SW China to booming areas

2008-10-06


GUIYANG, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A major railway connecting Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, with Guangzhou, the southern Guangdong Province capital, is expected to begin construction on Oct. 13, a local official said here on Monday.

The 857 km electrified railway, co-invested by the Railway Ministry, Guizhou and Guangdong provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is expected to be operational in 2012, said Wang Tongjun, deputy head of Chengdu Railway Bureau, which administrates railways in Sichuan and Guizhou provinces and Chongqing Municipality.

The investment is 85.8 billion yuan (12.53 billion U.S. dollars).

The railway will cut travel time between the two cities from 20hours to 6 hours.

Trains are expected to run at 200 km per hour, with a daily capacity of 100 trains and an annual capacity for goods transportation of 25 million tons.

The line is conducive to transporting goods from southwest China to the booming Pearl River Delta areas, including Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, Wang said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/06/content_10156519.htm

[snow is red]

Beijing-Shijiazhuang railway under construction

2008-10-07


Construction began on a high-speed passenger rail line between Beijing and Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei province Tuesday, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) said.

The new 281 kilometer line is part of another route which connects Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong in south China. It totals more than 2,300 km long.

With an estimated cost of 43.87 billion yuan ($6.42 billion), the Beijing-Shijiazhuang line is expected to be complete and in operation in four years. It is jointly funded by the MOR, Beijing and Hebei governments.

The designed speed of the railway is 350 km per hour. Initially, however, trains will only travel 300 km per hour.

Once operating, this new line should cut the journey from Beijing to Shijiazhuang from 119 minutes to less than 60 minutes, the ministry said.

The new line will have six stations.

Seventy-seven percent of it, or about 218.47 km, will be built on an elevated alignment to save land.

In the meantime, Chinese workers will also be building a 28.7-km-long railway linking Shijiazhuang to Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province.

The MOR said it hopes to build 9,800 km of passenger-dedicated railway over its Five-year Plan (2006-2010).

http://www.chinadaily.net/bizchina/2008-10/07/content_7084063.htm

[foxmulder_ms]

Numbers sound great :D

[big-dog]

China to build railways linking Xinjiang with central,south Asia

URUMQI - Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is expected to build nine railways covering more than 2,000 km of track to link the Muslim area with other parts of the country and central and south Asia before 2020, a local railway official said here on Thursday.

They included a China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a China-Pakistan railway and seven railways linking the region with neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Qinghai and Gansu provinces, said Wu Jian, the Urumqi Railway Bureau deputy head.

The new lines will provide a faster link between western China and central Asia and improve the southern passageway of the new Euro-Asia continental bridge.

Xinjiang opened its first railway in 1962. Currently, it has more than 3,000 km of rail line and another 2,200 km of track is under construction.

Currently the only rail linking Xinjiang with central Asia is a 460-km line between Urumqi and the Alataw Pass where it connects to Kazakhstan's railway.

China and its central Asian neighbors have been carrying out feasibility studies to improve their rail network amid growing trade in recent years.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-10/09/content_7092181.htm)

[big-dog]

China starts building railway linking southwestern inland to southern port city

GUILIN, Guangxi, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday began construction on a major regional railway to connect the less-developed southwestern inland Guizhou Province with the southern Guangdong Province, one of the country's economic powerhouses.

The 857-km line starts from Guizhou's provincial capital, Guiyang, running southwards through Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and ending in the port city Guangzhou, Guangdong's capital.

The new line is designed to be a double-track electrified railway and will allow trains to travel at 200 km an hour. With an estimated cost of 85.8 billion (12.6 billion U.S. dollars), the Guiyang-Guangzhou line is expected to be complete and operational in six years.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang who attended the ground-breaking ceremony, said the new line, upon completion, would provide a fast rail route with large transport capacity from Guiyang to Guangzhou. It would improve the rail networks in southwestern and southern China by cutting the journey time between the southwest and the Pearl Delta region.

This railway was also expected to help people living along the line shake off poverty and achieve sound and fast economic development, he said.

Zhang demanded workers and engineers protect the environment and respect local customs during construction since the line runs through areas that are home to many people of ethnic minorities and famous for beautiful landscape.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/13/content_10188861.htm)

[serdar samanlı]

Are they plannign a tunnel between China and Japan?

[big-dog]

^^ never heard of it. I hear rumors about digging tunnels between China mainland to Taiwan and laying mega bridge between Dalian to Yantai (both over 100km across the sea).

[hkskyline]

China puts railways at heart of stimulus plan

BEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - China is preparing steps to boost domestic demand, including more spending on railways, to help cushion the impact of the global credit crisis, a senior official said on Saturday.

The package of measures will be finalised at next month's Central Economic Work Conference, at which top policy makers will chart policy for 2009, Zheng Xinli, vice-head of the ruling Communist Party's Policy Research Office, said.

"China will roll out some very important measures to boost domestic demand next year," Zheng told reporters on the sidelines of an economic forum.

He said China still had potential to increase consumption further, but rapid growth in household spending in recent years meant the scope was limited.

Policy makers were concentrating instead on stepping up investment in industrial projects and infrastructure, particularly railways, and at relaxing curbs on the property sector.

Zheng said the National Development and Reform Commission, the main planning agency, was working on detailed proposals for rail reform.

Beijing has budgeted 1.2 trillion yuan ($175.7 billion) in rail investment for 2006-2010, more than four times the sum in the previous five years, to make up for past underinvestment that has resulted in serious cargo and passenger bottlenecks.

Much of current rail capacity is devoted to the transport of coal, the main source of power, forcing a lot of freight to be moved by road even though it is less efficient. Passenger trains are very overcrowded, especially at holiday periods.

NEW DEAL FOR RAIL

Zheng drew a parallel between the policy response now being drafted and the road-building programme that China launched to pump up the economy after the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis.

"Last time when we tried to boost domestic demand we built our highway system. This time we will probably build up our railway network," he said.

Zheng said the government, unlike a decade ago, was unlikely to have to resort to massive bond financing to pay for the investment binge because tax revenues were strong.

Beijing issued 360 billion yuan in long-term infrastructure bonds between 1998 and 2000.

"It's not necessary right now, but we will issue such bonds if we have to," Zheng said.

China's economy is slowing after five years of double-digit growth. Commerce Minister Chen Deming told Reuters in Paris that figures on Monday were likely to show annual gross domestic product growth fell in the third quarter to "a little bit above 9 percent" from 10.1 percent in the second quarter.

Still, Zheng said the government had been pleasantly surprised so far that exports had not taken a bigger hit from the global crisis. Annual export growth picked up to 21.5 percent in September from 21.1 percent in August.

"It seems our original estimate was a little pessimistic. The result turned out to be much better than we expected," he said.

Zheng surmised that demand was holding up well because China mainly shipped everyday consumer goods that were keenly priced, not higher-end discretionary items.

As part of the policy focus on domestic demand, China is counting on rural land reforms -- approved by Communist Party leaders a week ago, but not yet made public -- to boost agricultural productivity and incomes.

Cao Yuanzheng, an economist at Bank of China International, told the forum that China needed to look to rural reforms to drive growth over the next 30 years, in much the same way as market reforms and opening up to the outside world have powered growth over the past 30 years.

[hkskyline]

Construction starts on portion of Beijing-Hong Kong rail line

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Construction begins Wednesday on a high-speed passenger rail line linking Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, and the Yangtze River port city Wuhan, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) said.

The 840.7-km long line is one part of a new 2,300-km route that connects Beijing with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong in south China.

The Shijiazhuan-Wuhan section is expected to open in four and a half years.

An estimated investment of 116.76 billion yuan (17.2 billion U.S. dollars) is needed for the project which will be jointly funded by the MOR and the governments of the Hebei, Henan and Hubei provinces.

The rail line is designed to run up to 350 km per hour. It will be able to transport 80 million passengers each year in one direction.

The new line section will have 14 stations, the MOR said.

Once complete, the entire Beijing-Guangzhou-Hongkong line will be almost parallel to the existing Beijing-Guangzhou line.

Construction on another section of railway, from Beijing to Shijiazhuang, kicked off a week ago. It should also be complete in four years, the MOR said.

Construction on the Wuhan to Guangzhou section started in June 2005. It is scheduled to begin operating in 2010.

The MOR wants to build 9,800 km of passenger rail lines in China as part of its five-year (2006-2010) plan.

[hoosier]

China puts railways at heart of stimulus plan

BEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - China is preparing steps to boost domestic demand, including more spending on railways, to help cushion the impact of the global credit crisis, a senior official said on Saturday.


NEW DEAL FOR RAIL

Zheng drew a parallel between the policy response now being drafted and the road-building programme that China launched to pump up the economy after the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis.

"Last time when we tried to boost domestic demand we built our highway system. This time we will probably build up our railway network," he said.



^^Wow, China gets it. They understand the importance of infrastructure investment to grow the economy and ensure prosperity. My, how the U.S. has fallen. It's all about tax cuts and spending cuts in America.

[city_thing]

^^ And foreign debt!

Hopefully the US Government will sort out the entire economy, rather than just put a bandaid over the large corporations that are responsible for many problems.

I'm very impressed by China building an HSR line all the way from Beijing to HK. Will they be terminating at Hung Hom station in Kowloon? Or follow the airport express line to Central? TST East?

[hkskyline]

^^ And foreign debt!

Hopefully the US Government will sort out the entire economy, rather than just put a bandaid over the large corporations that are responsible for many problems.

I'm very impressed by China building an HSR line all the way from Beijing to HK. Will they be terminating at Hung Hom station in Kowloon? Or follow the airport express line to Central? TST East?

The HSR network in Guangdoing province is quite well established with express trains running between Guangzhou and Shenzhen already. Hong Kong is now constructing a new terminus in West Kowloon a block from Union Square and plans to build a dedicated HSR right of way to Shenzhen to link up with the mainland network. We expect future express trains into China will leave from West Kowloon instead of Hung Hom.

[Taipei Walker]

^^ I took the train from Guangzhou East Station to Shenzhen just yesterday, it was very pleasant ride but I am not sure if it counts as high speed rail as the maximum speed was 200km/h. The whole jurney was just under 1 hour, trains are every 10 min. from 6:20 to 22:40.

[hkskyline]

^ I believe conventional high speed rail begins once the speed exceeds around 160 km/h, when special tracks / work on the tracks is needed to make higher speeds possible.

[nouveau.ukiyo]

I've seen many different definitions of high speed rail, it's hard to say what is and isn't...but I"m sure the top speed of the entire HK - Guangzhou route will be 200km/h. I think a more important number is average speed, which is a hard number to find since everyone is concerned about top speed. Acela in the US has a top speed of 150mph, but an average of 80mph I think? The top speed qualifies as HSR, the average definitely does not.

[hkskyline]

I've seen many different definitions of high speed rail, it's hard to say what is and isn't...but I"m sure the top speed of the entire HK - Guangzhou route will be 200km/h. I think a more important number is average speed, which is a hard number to find since everyone is concerned about top speed. Acela in the US has a top speed of 150mph, but an average of 80mph I think? The top speed qualifies as HSR, the average definitely does not.

I look at it from a capacity perspective, specifically how fast the track can support (not the train). If that entire line can support a 'high' speed, then it is a high speed line.

Acela is a weird case, since there is a section of track that does not support high speeds, yet it is called a high speed railway - perhaps for relative reasons.

[hkskyline]

Schenker rolls out Asia-Europe rail landbridge
20 October 2008
Shipping Digest

Gemany’s DB Schenker plans to offer scheduled rail freight services to China beginning in February. The Trans Eurasia Express will operate two container trains weekly to link China with Germany in less than 20 days.

The service is operated in conjunction with of five other railways, including the Chinese and Russian national carriers, said Schenker, the transportation and logistics service provider of national rail carrier Deutsche Bahn.

The service will connect Shanghai and Beijing with Hamburg, Nuremberg and Duisburg. Schenker said the service has attracted interest from the automotive, chemical, engineering and paper industries, as well as manufacturers of household goods.

[Mateusz]

Is there any HSR in China ?

[snow is red]

Is there any HSR in China ?

If you just kindly spend some times reading through the thread. Thanks.

[BarbaricManchurian]

Is there any HSR in China ?

There is Beijing-Tianjin HSR at 350km/h (fastest conventional train in regular service in the world), Qinhuangdao-Shenyang HSR at 250km/h, Guangzhou-Shenzhen HSR at 200km/h, and Shanghai maglev at 431km/h. And of course over 15 HSR lines U/C right now.

[hzkiller]

中国将加快两万亿铁路投资 应对危机
　核心提示：铁道部新闻发言人王勇平日前时表示，铁路新项目的投入会继续拉动经济增长。他表示目前国务院批复的铁路投资额已经达到2万亿元，未来随着实际情况的变化可能数字还将增加。
中国经济网10月24日报道 全球金融危机已经触及中国实体经济，增加固定投资一直是中国经济增长的主要动力。铁道部新闻发言人王勇平日前时表示，铁路新项目的投入，作为拉动经济增长的重要亮点，铁路部门已经做好了充分的准备。

他透露，在未来一段时间，中国将有很多重大项目投入施工。

王勇平称，现在国务院批复的铁路投资额已经达到2万亿元，其中在建项目的投资规模超过了1.2万亿。他特别指出，这些数字只是现在确定的数字，有的比"十一五"规划的数字已经有了提高，未来随着实际情况的变化，有些数字可能还会增加。

中共党中央政策研究室副主任郑新立在上周就曾表示，为了缓解全球信贷危机的冲击，中国正准备采取行动增加铁路投资，增加国内需求。郑新立提到，发改委正就铁路改革的细节进行研究。郑新立就当前正在起草的政策方案和1997-1998年亚洲金融危机后的公路建设项目做了对比。他说道，“上次我们建造公路体系来增加内需，这次我们很可能建造铁路网”。

小资料

发改委原先公布的十一五规划中，中国将新建铁路线1.7万公里，合计固定投资总额为1.5万亿元。而由铁道部公布的数据看，2006年和2007年的基本建设投资（路轨、桥梁、车站等固定设施）总额分别为1550亿和1772亿元左右，合计3300亿左右，比原投资计划要略低

[big-dog]

^^ translation

Gov't sets $300b for railway construction

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-25 10:46

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2786/0281ab83mj9.jpg

The State Council has approved 2 trillion yuan ($292 billion) for the construction of a series of railway projects, to help boost economic growth amid the worldwide financial crisis.

Increasing investment in fixed assets has remained a catalyst of China's economic development. By 2010, the total length of China's railway will reach 90,000 km, according to the Ministry of Railways.

A number of major railway projects will be started soon, www.ce.cn - the country's leading economic news portal - quoted Wang Yongping, spokesman for the Ministry of Railways, as saying on Friday.

About 1.2 trillion yuan has already been allocated, he said.

Zheng Xinli, a senior government policy advisor, said: "In 1997, we dealt with the Asian financial crisis by stimulating domestic economic growth by investing in the construction of highways. This time the money will go on improving the rail network."

The National Development and Reform Commission is developing plans to improve the country's railway systems, he said.

[baidu]

1.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0810/forumid_29/20081024_907655e54a8fc2c827e80w3k518ih9aE.jpg
2.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0810/forumid_29/20081024_1f47a09a498d7bf020c4hCWhM60QUKtr.jpg
3.http://bbs.chinakzw.com/attachments/month_0810/20081023_159c57e3d7de1f444ca8EHtK024XPV6c.jpg
4.http://bbs.chinakzw.com/attachments/month_0810/20081023_766e74ab41c23d848a21VTVIIMZa1Skb.jpg
5.http://bbs.chinakzw.com/attachments/month_0810/20081023_19231eba72a57870700cP1im2fxRbSSi.jpg
6.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0810/forumid_29/20081021_c596f678dbff10cdd024Rv4OB01gDJvs.jpg
7.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0810/forumid_29/20081021_4cd718148e3f74c5b978Ju443yzBwsU2.jpg
8.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0810/forumid_29/20081021_e01f89fd3ece859c6949ANVamiJdJm98.jpg

[snow is red]

^^ Thank you for these pictures .

[baidu]

1.bold red lines: PDL(passenger dedicated line 350km/h,beijing~shanghai:380km/h) already U/C or planned
2.bold blue lines:PDL new added to the plan
3.red lines:conventional line(200km/h or 160+km/h) already U/C or planned
4.blue lines:conventional line new added to the plan
5.black lines:line already finished construction
6.dashed blue lines:under discussion
7.others you need not to know natonal secret:lol:
http://pic3.5460.net/data/data3/photos/40/96/94/827738.jpg

[snow is red]

^^ It's too big and too bright, really hard to see.

[BarbaricManchurian]

Map is old, many of the railways marked as u/c have been finished.

[Whiteeclipse]

Good to hear about the $292 billion for railway construction in China.

China is catching up
1. European Union 236,436 km year-2007
2. United States 226,612 km year-2005
3. Russia 87,157km year-2006
4. China 75,438km year-2005

[z0rg]

Wow, you can see the Shandong-Korea link in that map! So they are going to construct it? Crazy.

[Whiteeclipse]

Is Shandong-Korea link going to be the longest under water railway?

Would be nice to see the China and Taiwan link too.

[urbanfan89]

I doubt the Shandong/Korea or Fujian/Taiwan links will ever happen.

The former will be irrelevant once North Korea opens up and modernizes its Soviet-era infrastructure.

The latter is obviously drawn up for politics.

Does anyone have a recent map of rail projects?

[foxmulder_ms]

Thanks for update pictures...

[Whiteeclipse]

once North Korea opens up and modernizes its Soviet-era infrastructure.


I hope so but when is this going to happen, when will North Korea open up?

[Whiteeclipse]

By 2010, China's railway is expected to extend to 100,000 kilometers. That will increase to more than 120,000 kilometers by 2020. At of the end of 2007, railways across the nation stretched 78,000 kilometers.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/27/content_10257573.htm

[big-dog]

A couple of CRH5 pics from ditiezu.com. Beijing-Changchun

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5980/20081013d9a83cf3861221evx1.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1918/2008101351e811fa45c50c2vp7.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5755/200810139968ffb9d530073yn3.jpg

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/6655/20081013857f145705d9f8efr0.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2936/20081013a4b14b462a9be14vy0.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9367/2008101345df6e5b29c727bcn3.jpg

[Railfan]

New trains from china to venezuela

CKD4C high power diesel locomotive
http://www.csrgc.com.cn/ens/uploadfiles/cpyfw/jch/20080617112414937.jpg

CKD4C high power diesel locomotive is used for the railway transportation business in the middle and western area of Venezuela namely: Cabello - Barquisimeto and Yaritagua - Acarigua.

CKD4C diesel locomotive is high power AC-DC diesel locomotive for trunk line heavy-loaded freight locomotive. This locomotive is equipped with 16V28OZJA diesel engine, JF204D synchronous main generator and ZD109E traction motor, adopting monocoque fuel tank and running gear of 3-axle bogie with weight of 25 ton.

DMU for Venezuela
http://www.csrgc.com.cn/ens/uploadfiles/cpyfw/dcz/20080618094805495.jpg

The main power system of DMU for Venezuela adopts the mode of diesel hydraulic transmission. This DMU is composed of two motor cars with driver’s cab and three trailers in the middle. Two DMUs can beoperated tandemly. The cross section of the carbody meets UIC506-C loading gauge. One CAT 3508B diesel engine is mounted on the motor car to transmit traction force to front bogie throught one SF2010 hydraulic transmission device. One MTAl1-G1 diesel engine and one AC generator are set to supply 400V, 50Hz three-phase AC power for air conditioner system in the rear trailer. One BCI184E24 generator supplies 120V, 60Hz AC power for the lighting system. One DC generator in the motor car provides 110V DC power for the control system and emergency power supply system of the whole DMU.

There are passenger rooms in the motor car and trailer with hard seats. There are air conditioners, cooling drinking water machine and western type stool in the car, and sanitary box with capacity of 400L under the car. There are telephone system, PLC tandemly control system and colour liquid crystal display screen, enabling the central control of lighting, air conditioning, sliding door and information display system.

More informatión Here!
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=708602&page=12

[hkskyline]

China may help build Pacific rail link-reports

MOSCOW, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Russian Railways, which will need to cut spending next year and seek about $6 billion in loans, has asked China to help develop rail links from the Pacific Ocean to Europe, its head told Russian news agencies on Tuesday.

Vladimir Yakunin, president of state railway monopoly RZhD, said China had reacted positively to an offer to join RZhD's venture with Deutsche Bahn to carry out the project, the agencies quoted him as saying.

"We (Russian Railways and Deutsche Bahn) asked our Chinese colleagues to join the joint venture. They reacted positively, and we are now negotiating with them," Yakunin was quoted as saying.

The rail monopoly's press service said it could not immediately confirm the comments.

The project to link rail systems from the Pacific coast to Western Europe is in the early planning stages. A test run of several rail wagons from the Beijing to Hamburg in Germany was organised in January with the participation of RZhD.

SPENDING CUTS, LOANS

Yakunin said earlier this month that RZhD would have to freeze some projects and cut its spending by $8 billion to 2010 due to the global liquidity crisis.

On Tuesday, he said its investment programme for 2009 would have to shrink by 50 billion roubles ($1.83 billion) to 430 billion roubles, the agencies reported.

Yakunin also told reporters the company would seek to attract 150 billion roubles in loans in 2009.

"But this figure will be adjusted depending on the realisation of our plans," he said.

[big-dog]

Dali-Lijiang railway U/C

More like serving as a tourist line. 164.4km, 3.5 years, 280 mln yuan, finishing in 2009


http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/8151/dalilijiangrailway3vz4.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3827/dalilijiangrailway5sc8.jpg

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4542/dalilijiangrailway4wk7.jpg

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/9981/dalilijiangrailway1df2.jpg

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/9613/dalilijiangrailway2dt2.jpg

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/7099/200803180416175600yd0.jpg

Dali
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6800/20080318040841534cc4.jpg

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/7908/200803180410304428qf8.jpg
(baidu.com)

[big-dog]

Yibin-Wanzhou Railway U/C

376.99km, bridge/tunnel 74% of total length, opens in 2009

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4930/yiwanrailway1iz2.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7766/yiwanrailway2gh3.jpg

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5715/yiwanrailway3zs2.jpg

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/92/yiwanrailway4qt2.jpg

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/5983/yiwanrailway5ef1.jpg

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/9424/yiwanrailway6zi3.jpg

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/7827/yiwanrailway7mb3.jpg

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/6858/yiwanrailway8ej4.jpg
(baidu.com)

[emzeti]

i love it...andi hope i can be there to see and feel it..
thanks for sharing your comments and pics...

[goschio]

This is all very impressive development. I am glad so see that China concentrates now more on public transport. Good for the environment.

[Kuvvaci]

do you have bus transportation or only trains in China?

[urbanfan89]

do you have bus transportation or only trains in China?

Buses are used for local area travel since the rail system is not extensive enough. Long distance travel is mostly by rail, though those who can afford it can fly and those who want to save take long-distance buses.

During the Chinese New Year everything is jam packed as *everyone* scrambles to go home within a few days.

[big-dog]

Buses are used for local area travel since the rail system is not extensive enough. Long distance travel is mostly by rail, though those who can afford it can fly and those who want to save take long-distance buses.

During the Chinese New Year everything is jam packed as *everyone* scrambles to go home within a few days.

There are many inter-province passenger bus services in China, most of them use the expressways so it's pretty fast and convenient.

Some long distance bus service like Shenzhen to Beijing are also available. If you want a China North-south tour, you can try the Shenzhen-Shenyang route, with total length of 3350KM , passing 8 provinces, all expressway road, taking 36 hours, costs around $116 per person.

(http://city.sz.net.cn/city/2008-01/26/content_1080374.htm)

[BarbaricManchurian]

^^Yes, there's usually a bus and rail choice to every city, but bus is usually more expensive and slower. It's fun to see the new expressways though.

[hkskyline]

The Beijing - Hong Kong sleeper service seems quite exotic, and is remarkably cheap, too.

Time : 24 hours
Fare : 1-Way Beijing - Kowloon
Hard Sleeper HKD $574-601 (USD $74-78)
Deluxe Soft Sleeper HKD $1191 (USD $154)

Source : http://www.it3.mtr.com.hk/B2C/UserPage/sysFareTable_Eng.asp

[hkskyline]

China rail workers clash with farmers over land

BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are investigating an incident in which more than 100 rail workers carrying iron bars beat local farmers who were obstructing work on a high-speed train link in a dispute over land compensation.

Railway workers from 17th Bureau Group, a unit of state-owned China Railway Construction Corp, clashed with farmers last month on the outskirts of Beijing near a construction site for the $11 billion high-speed railway from Beijing to Shanghai, local media reported.

Rural discontent over government-sanctioned land grabs is rife in China's vast countryside, where more than 700 million farmers toil on small plots that are owned by the state.

Railway officials have said increasing troubles acquiring land cheaply is holding back the expansion of China's rail network.

They complain of farmers seeking compensation directly from rail authorities after local officials appropriate land along rail routes without compensating farmers.

In October, trucks "crammed" with people carrying iron bars drove out from the railway construction site to two villages near Lanfang, outside Beijing, where 19 residents, aged between 16 and 70, were injured in the clashes, Tuesday's Beijing Times said.

An official with the 17th Bureau's construction office, surnamed Li, confirmed the clash, but said the workers had acted of their own volition, the paper said.

Local residents had obstructed rail work amid a dispute over compensation for the use of their land, an official with the news office of the Lanfang local government told Reuters by telephone.

"The delayed construction lead to the delay of the railway workers' salary," said the official, who declined to leave his name.

The company had sent a team to investigate, the paper said, citing an unnamed spokesperson.

An employee surnamed Wang confirmed the probe, but declined to comment further when contacted by Reuters at the company's project office.

Work started on the 1,300-km high-speed rail link in April this year. The railway, with a designed speed of 350 kph (220 mph) will reduce the journey between the two cities from over 11 hours to just five.

Land costs far exceeded the budgeted amount in the construction of the high-speed railway between Beijing and Tianjin, which passes near Lanfang and opened in time for the Olympics in August.

China's central government tweaked its rural land policy last month, formalising the transfer of land use rights in a move it said would bolster farmers' incomes and protect their interests.

But analysts said the measures would provide little extra protection for farmers against arbitrary land grabs by companies backed by local officials.

[Vascilli]

Does anybody know how much it costs to go from Beijing to Xi'an? I went on a school trip and I think we were in 2nd class sleepers, 4 bunks per room. I'd like to do the journey again when I graduate.

[baidu]

1.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_7a63b09044b3748ad261twnT63Ax0kid.jpg
2.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_95c8570abdacf18fefa3HgLvUGx78zUr.jpg
3.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_ad7a700b0ba24087ee0dk9sMWmsi44gf.jpg
4.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_3496657167c7dfa70976msG0DQQ0GAcM.jpg
5.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_22471806d28ab32903d42gREX26Ekp0w.jpg
6.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_7e6535d3db26f3b67b64tEkjgsCE1txS.jpg
7.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_02bf7a2c763b109d6b0a69eD7G1E7CXx.jpg
8.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_3658ea30a1e27753fa04SfjkYQnV3jAc.jpg
9.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_31d2348f3929765c01ebEY3tWbdBz3qu.jpg
10.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_d44bdd56db9fab4adc1733jUTHtIfnUG.jpg
11.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_03bad219d16c27cbebc3cIjnlVdlBXjc.jpg
12.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_318b16609233743453efyMwMPcyJUzyn.jpg
13.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_c474f86470d43782d3d5rRK7xEhgBmiM.jpg
14.http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_29/20081102_c62f07a11be9bb04a221v2NBnE6QjuaT.jpg

[serdar samanlı]

I liked that suspension bridge

[ssfan]

RMB $429 (about USD$70)
from http://ks.cn.yahoo.com/question/1590003765367.html

Does anybody know how much it costs to go from Beijing to Xi'an? I went on a school trip and I think we were in 2nd class sleepers, 4 bunks per room. I'd like to do the journey again when I graduate.

[Peloso]

1.[IMG]Hail to the monster machines!:banana:

[snow is red]

Work on Tianjin-Baoding railway to start in 2009

2008-11-09

TIANJIN -- Work will start in the first half of 2009 on a high-speed railway connecting Tianjin, a port city on the Bohai Sea, and Baoding, a city in central Hebei Province, it was announced at a meeting here on Saturday.

The meeting, in the Binhai New Area, was attended by officials from the Ministry of Railways, Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province.
The line will be 145 km long, with trains running up to 250 km per hour,according to the Ministry of Railways. The link will cost 24 billion yuan (about $3.52 billion), but no detailed financial plans are yet available.

There is no rail link at present, only a freeway. The line will create a route linking Tianjin, the largest port city in north China, and the vast central and western areas of China, said a ministry official.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-11/09/content_7187756.htm

[Aydin1]

Does anybody know how much it costs to go from Beijing to Xi'an? I went on a school trip and I think we were in 2nd class sleepers, 4 bunks per room. I'd like to do the journey again when I graduate.

According to www.huochepiao.com, a seat is 150, "hard sleeper" (6 bunks per room) is 265, and "soft sleeper" (4 bunks per room) is 400 to 417 RMB.

[Herzarsen]

China starts construction of Nanning-Guangzhou high-speed rail line

2008-11-09 12:47:34 GMT2008-11-09 20:47:34 (Beijing Time) Xinhua English
NANNING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Work began on Sunday on a high-speed rail link between Nanning and Guangzhou that will cut travel time between the two south China cities from almost 13 hours to three.

A ceremony was held in Wuzhou, a city in southwestern Guangxi, to mark the commencement on Sunday. Present at the function were local government authorities of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong Province, as well as Liu Zhijun, Minister of Railways.

The link will be 577.1 km long, of which 61 percent will be in Guangxi, and allow trains to run up to 200 km per hour. It will be completed in an estimated 54 months and cost about 41 billion yuan(about 6 billion U.S. dollars), according Chen Boshi, chief of Nanning Railways Administration.

The cost will be shared by the Ministry of Railways, Guangdong Province and Guangxi, said Chen.

Guangdong Province Governor Huang Huahua said he hoped the link would advance the goal of a Pan-Pearl River Delta and help connect southeast China to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Liu said the project was significant, as it came amid the world financial crisis and thus would help boost domestic demand.

http://english.sina.com/china/2008/1109/197326.html

[nouveau.ukiyo]

China starts construction of Nanning-Guangzhou high-speed rail line

Liu said the project was significant, as it came amid the world financial crisis and thus would help boost domestic demand.

http://english.sina.com/china/2008/1109/197326.html

I had a feeling this was the case. With some factories closing and people losing jobs over slackening global demand, China will probably be starting up quite a few public works projects. Let's just hope the economy doesn't agitate people to the point where they resist and protest the government e.g. refuse to give up land to eminent domain for railroad right of way.

[urbanfan89]

Does anyone have a map or list of the railways being constructed or planned?

[big-dog]

Great news to rail business, "The Chinese government says it will spend more than $500-billion usd on railway investment in the next three years".

BOMBARDIER

Chinese package a boon for rail projects
GEOFFREY YORK

November 13, 2008

BEIJING -- China's announcement of a massive $586-billion (U.S.) stimulus package is "very good news" for Bombardier Inc., offering the prospect of more aggressive Chinese investment in the types of railway projects where the company has emerged as a top supplier, a Bombardier executive says.

In the wake of the stimulus announcement, China has also unveiled an expanded plan for railway construction in the near future.

The Chinese government says it will spend more than $500-billion on railway investment in the next three years, creating millions of new jobs, according to state media reports.

"It's a very good number," said Jianwei Zhang, president of Bombardier's operations in China, in an interview yesterday. "This is good news for sure. Bombardier is well-positioned in the Chinese market. We have production capacity, credibility and good relations with the Chinese government."

Beijing's stimulus package has been criticized for failing to help Chinese domestic consumers. Most of the investment is aimed at traditional infrastructure projects such as railways, airports, roads and housing. But while it might fail to generate new consumer spending, it could be a windfall for companies such as Montreal-based Bombardier.

So far there are few details on how much of the planned spending is new money and how much is a reshuffle of already announced spending. But it seems clear that Beijing will be boosting its spending significantly on high-speed intercity railways and urban mass-transit projects - both of which have produced dozens of contracts for Bombardier in recent years.

Bombardier and its China-based joint-venture company have won $6.9-billion in Chinese railway contracts over the past three years, and more are in the pipeline, Mr. Zhang says. "I'm in intensive negotiations in parallel for several contracts now," he said. "I hope we will sign more railway and urban-transit contracts in China in the coming weeks or months."

Several of the upcoming projects are high-speed trains to connect some of China's biggest cities, including a much-discussed $26-billion plan to connect Beijing and Shanghai with trains running at speeds of up to 350 kilometres an hour. This project is a major element in the new stimulus package that China announced last weekend.

The Chinese government's investment plans are a ray of optimism for Bombardier, whose shares have been badly hit since the global financial crisis began. Its share price has fallen to barely half of its September peak, mainly because of worries that its business-jet orders will be hurt by the financial crisis.

The Chinese government says it will create six million new jobs by investing $87-billion in railway projects next year. It also plans to invest a similar amount in urban mass-transit projects, where Bombardier has traditionally been a top supplier of rail cars and other equipment. Bombardier has already sold about 1,300 metro cars in China and it is currently tracking about 200 possible transit contracts in 37 cities across China, Mr. Zhang said.

Bombardier's most visible transit project in China is the high-speed line between Beijing and its international airport, which opened in time for the Beijing Olympics this summer. Bombardier won a $68-million contract to provide train cars for the airport line. The performance of its train equipment during the Olympics was "better than we promised," Mr. Zhang said. "The customer is very happy with it."

BOMBARDIER (BBD.B)

[snow is red]

Great news to rail business, "The Chinese government says it will spend more than $500-billion usd on railway investment in the next three years".

I don't know where Bombardier website got their news from but it does not make sense to use $500 billions out of the $586 package just railways unless they are talking about something else. I know there is another budget set for railways construction about $300 billions that was approved a few weeks ago, but that figure is nowhere near $500 billions.

[big-dog]

^^ this can also be found on Chinese news site like sina.com,

未来3年我国将投资3.5万亿兴建铁路 China to invest 3.5 trillion yuan in 3 years on railways (http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-11-12/030516634336.shtml)

I think part of $500 bln is coming from stimulus package and part of it is exisitng investment plan.

[nazrey]

Subway tunnel under construction collapses in Hangzhou, China
2008/11/16 AFP

BEIJING, Sun.:

Three people have been confirmed dead in China after a subway tunnel collapsed and the survival chances for 17 others still missing is slim, state media said today.

The accident happened yesterday in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou, trapping construction workers underground while the tunnel was swiftly flooded with water from a nearby river, the Xinhua news agency reported.

“There is (only) a slim chance of the survival of the trapped workers because of heavy flooding in the crater,” Wang Guangrong, a spokesman for the local government, told Xinhua.

The tunnel was still under construction. Altogether 75 metres of the tunnel collapsed, creating a huge crater that trapped 11 vehicles, including at least one bus.

So far, rescue workers had pulled out all the vehicles and brought the drivers and passengers to safety, according to Xinhua.
It said that 19 people had been brought to treatment at local hospitals.

The water level inside the tunnel initially reached six metres, but workers had been pumping out water throughout the night and by early today, it had been reduced to three metres, the agency said.

Hangzhou started construction of a major subway network in March last year. - AFP

[hkth]

Xinhua News:
Construction starts on new suburban rail line in Beijing (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/16/content_10366146.htm)

[Kuvvaci]

nice

[snow is red]

Rail investment up 61% in Jan-Oct

2008-11-18


China's fixed asset investment for railways climbed 61.1 percent year on year to 255.6 billion yuan ($37.42 billion) in the first ten months of this year, according to a report by the Ministry of Railways last Friday. Investment for railway infrastructure construction amounted to 208.4 billion yuan, up 81.3 percent year on year.


The government has cleared a 4 trillion-yuan investment package lasting until 2010 to spur domestic demand and boost the slowing economy. In accordance with the stimulus package, the ministry plans to increase railway infrastructure investment to 350 billion yuan this year from 300 billion yuan previously, said a ministry official. The amount is expected to reach 600 billion yuan by 2009.


The country's railway system moved 1.25 billion passengers and 2.8 billion tons of cargo during the January and October period, the report said.


http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-11/18/content_7216222.htm

[henrypan123]

Beijing South Railway Station

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20081116_b2561d133e22744e8b6597gWth7yczsR.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20081116_312dbb7063e67c2a95d2vwHdGhkaH1LT.jpg

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20080806/200808061014007665.jpg

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20080806/200808061032043385.jpg

http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20080806/200808061030366974.jpg

[hkskyline]

ADB extends 300 mln usd loan for 8.6 bln usd rail project in west China
18 November 2008

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is extending a 300 mln usd loan for an 820-kilometer railway line in west China, linking Lanzhou in Gansu province with Chongqing in the southwest. The total cost of building the railway line is estimated at 8.6 bln usd, the ADB said in a statement. ADB's 27-year loan is its largest loan to China this year. China Construction Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China will jointly provide four bln usd in loans, while China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) and the provincial governments of Gansu, Sichuan and Chongqing will invest 4.3 bln usd as equity, with the MOR contributing 55 pct. Over 30 railway stations will be built along the new route. The proposed railway is part of China's strategy to expand infrastructure and stimulate growth in underdeveloped interior regions of the country.

A joint venture company has been set up by MOR and the governments of Gansu, Sichuan and Chongqing to build, operate and manage the railway, the statement said, adding that the new company will outsource a wide range of services to the private sector and seek strategic and private investors. Separately, the ADB said it is providing a grant of up to 20 mln usd to upgrade a 39-kilometer section of the Bishkek-Torugart road, which links the Kyrgyz Republic with China and other central Asian countries.

[Huhu]

ADB extends 300 mln usd loan for 8.6 bln usd rail project in west China
18 November 2008

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is extending a 300 mln usd loan for an 820-kilometer railway line in west China, linking Lanzhou in Gansu province with Chongqing in the southwest. The total cost of building the railway line is estimated at 8.6 bln usd, the ADB said in a statement. ADB's 27-year loan is its largest loan to China this year. China Construction Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China will jointly provide four bln usd in loans, while China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) and the provincial governments of Gansu, Sichuan and Chongqing will invest 4.3 bln usd as equity, with the MOR contributing 55 pct. Over 30 railway stations will be built along the new route. The proposed railway is part of China's strategy to expand infrastructure and stimulate growth in underdeveloped interior regions of the country.

A joint venture company has been set up by MOR and the governments of Gansu, Sichuan and Chongqing to build, operate and manage the railway, the statement said, adding that the new company will outsource a wide range of services to the private sector and seek strategic and private investors. Separately, the ADB said it is providing a grant of up to 20 mln usd to upgrade a 39-kilometer section of the Bishkek-Torugart road, which links the Kyrgyz Republic with China and other central Asian countries.
8.6 billion USD? Isn't that more costly than even the Qinghai-Tibet Railway? It's also over a shorter length; is the terrain that terrible?

[big-dog]

^^ Most of the 820 km are moutainous areas. Plus the cost to build a rail is moe expensive now than 5 years ago.

i.e. the building of 1km subway costs Beijing about 100 mln yuan in year 2000 but costs 800 mln now.

[hoosier]

I wished the U.S. cared as much about investing in rail as China.

Chinese rail>>>>U.S. rail

[UD2]

^^ Most of the 820 km are moutainous areas. Plus the cost to build a rail is moe expensive now than 5 years ago.

i.e. the building of 1km subway costs Beijing about 100 mln yuan in year 2000 but costs 800 mln now.

what's behind the jump.

[big-dog]

^^ I assume the soaring land cost and labor cost are the major factors.

[amirtaheri]

The pictures of Beijing South Station are cool, but I've been to Chinese railway stations before and I've had to wait for trains at the station sometimes and the worst thing about them is not the surroundings, architecture etc, it was the pure boredom of being in some of the stations. Aside from a couple of stations, Beijing West being one of them I think, there are very few stores or restaurants in the station itself, very few facilities for us to chip away at the time.

I really hope that after they've built the basic infrastructure, that they start looking at doing something about that. Not a priority now, but something for the future.

Another thing they should also look at dealing with is the unavoidable 'surge' when gates open. It is ridiculous being squashed and pushed by a crowd because they want to board 'faster'. Even the police don't have control half the time of what I can only kindly term a mob! Chinese railways need more crowd control and instill an understanding that pushing won't cause tickets to be checked faster or boarding to be done any quicker.

That being said, I will still be looking forward to doing Beijing to Wuhan in Soft Sleeper :)

Does anyone know if Beijing to Wuhan has a Deluxe Soft Sleeper with only two beds?

[zergcerebrates]

Isnt this the platform of the new Tianjin Train station?


http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20080806/200808061030366974.jpg

[zergcerebrates]

Oh when riding on these CRH do different train types go to different cities or they basically serve the same route?

[BarbaricManchurian]

Isnt this the platform of the new Tianjin Train station?


http://pic.feeyo.com/pic/20080806/200808061030366974.jpg

Yes, good eye, took me a few minutes to realize it. Beijing South station has recessed doors, but Tianjin station has doors right at the wall.

Here's a few of my pics of Tianjin Station, very modernist Soviet-style station:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2792.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2793.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2795.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2796.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2797.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2798.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2799.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2800.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/fccDaniel/tianjin08/IMG_2801.jpg

Oh when riding on these CRH do different train types go to different cities or they basically serve the same route?

CRH1 is in use in Guangzhou-Shenzhen line, CRH2 is in use for Shanghai-Hangzhou and Shanghai-Nanjing lines, along with Beijing-Tianjin, CRH3 is exclusively Beijing-Tianjin, and CRH5 is under development, rumored to be used for Beijing-Harbin.

[UD2]

CRH1 is in use in Guangzhou-Shenzhen line, CRH2 is in use for Shanghai-Hangzhou and Shanghai-Nanjing lines, along with Beijing-Tianjin, CRH3 is exclusively Beijing-Tianjin, and CRH5 is under development, rumored to be used for Beijing-Harbin.


Almost completely untrue.

The CRH1 and CRH2 runs in hundreds of routes all across China. Although you're right about the Guangzhou-Shenzhen line operating mainly CRH1s for its commuter transit featured design.

CRH5 was introduced in the same time as the CRH1 and CRH2 and it runs mainly in northern China due to its superior ability to operate in colder and harsher weather. The CRH5 family was plagued with problems at its introduction, so it'll most likely stay in northern China until it proves its worthiness to other regions.

The CRH3 is not exclusively for the Beijing-Tianjin line; the Beijing-Tianjin line just happens to be the first line to use this family of trains. CRH3 will most likely be also used on other 300-350km/h high-speed passenger only lines that are currently under constructions; that is unless the CRH3 proves to be a complete failure and the railway ministry decides to drop the family out of service completely.

A bit more information, although the CRH2s all look alike, there are at least 5 sub models to the family. The CRH2-XXXA is the original 8 carriage trains designed in Japan. There are also CRH2-XXXB, XXXC, XXXD and XXXE that designates other models such as ones with 16 carriages instead of the original 8, 8 carriage models with sleeper cars, 16 carriage models with sleeper cars and models capable of operating at 350km/h, instead of the original designed 250km/h. The 350km/h models currently operate on the Beijing-Tianjin line along side of the CRH3.

[foxmulder_ms]

Thanks for detailed information.

[henrypan123]

The CRH1 electric multiple units is a Chinese high-speed train based on Bombardier technology and built by a Chinese-Canadian joint venture between Bombardier and Sifang at Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation factory in Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
Its highest speed reaches 250km/h.

http://hkttn.com/gsline/cover_gs_03.jpg

http://www.railwayfan.net/attachments1/month_0804/20080429_0fda602e0469e42e476a5dGL5ySM9ICv.jpg

http://www.railwayfan.net/attachments1/month_0804/20080429_3c1bd63a2cd0ff035803JU6rNB4XOWwc.jpg

http://file.lianpian.com/Upload/Lock/bbs/2008-6/2008629048059369.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif

http://images4.fotop.net/albums4/ltdigi/postphoto/DSCF5003.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/CRH1-Compartment.jpg/800px-CRH1-Compartment.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Interior_of_China_Railway_High-speed_train.jpg/800px-Interior_of_China_Railway_High-speed_train.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/CRH1-Dining_Car.jpg/800px-CRH1-Dining_Car.jpg

[Railfan]

China Development maglev sistem? When begin the construction of maglev sistem?

[urbanfan89]

^^ There was a proposal to build a Beijing-Shanghai maglev line with Transrapid technology, but that was changed to regular steel wheels HSR. A proposal to build Shanghai-Hangzhou Transrapid has been cancelled, reinstated, cancelled, reinstated, and cancelled. No one know what will happen, but a regular HSR is already under construction so it may never be built.

[UD2]

China Development maglev sistem? When begin the construction of maglev sistem?

A long ranged one will probably be delayed indefinately for the foreseeable future.

The extention of a current Shanghai line to the city's other airport/transit hub may still have a chance of coming into existance.

This, ofcourse, rest almost solely onto good politics played and practiced by the German leaders, whom until recently have showned uncontrolled rudeness towards the Chinese; especially during the Olympics.

[Tri-ring]

This, ofcourse, rest almost solely onto good politics played and practiced by the German leaders, whom until recently have showned uncontrolled rudeness towards the Chinese; especially during the Olympics.

I don't follow, what are you talking about in particular.
Please elaborate.

[UD2]

I don't follow, what are you talking about in particular.
Please elaborate.

http://www.tibetpost.net/images/stories/08102207322982.jpg

[goschio]

DL is friend of Germany. China should accept that.

[z0rg]

Please don't ruin this thread with politics.

[big-dog]

China to invest 120 bln yuan in second railway for Xinjiang


www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-25 13:55:09

URUMQI, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- China will spend 120 billion yuan (17.6 billion U.S. dollars) to build a second railway linking the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with inland cities, according to information from a meeting of the Xinjiang committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday.

Construction is expected to begin next year, with investment from the central and local governments and other sources.

The new line will be parallel to the existing Lanxin Railway linking Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Only passenger trains will run on it.

When the new line is completed, the old Lanxin railway, running1,892 kilometers, will be used by cargo trains only.

Xinjiang, a vast region in China's far west, boasts rich oil, coal and other resources and is the country's major cotton producer. Lanxin is currently the only railway linking Xinjiang and other parts of China.

Railway officials said the new rail line will break the bottleneck of transport for Xinjiang in its economic development, ease the pressure on the Euro-Asian continental bridge and facilitate exchanges between China and its west neighbors.

Another 100 billion yuan would be injected to improve Xinjiang's highway network between 2009 and 2013, according to information from the meeting.

(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/25/content_10410141.htm)

[UD2]

DL is friend of Germany. China should accept that.

not gonna go into anything. But the acceptence of the fact that German busineses will miss out on potential contracts should be mutual. That mentioned, I feel very sad that the Transrapid Maglev may become a victum of this.

i'll stop it here on my part.

[Knuddel Knutsch]

so you put your view of politics into this thread, expect us to accept it and just "stop on your part".

Really funny.....and the Transrapid Maglev deal failed, because the germans didnt want to hand out the core technology, not because of a monk.

[BarbaricManchurian]

Almost completely untrue.

The CRH1 and CRH2 runs in hundreds of routes all across China. Although you're right about the Guangzhou-Shenzhen line operating mainly CRH1s for its commuter transit featured design.

CRH5 was introduced in the same time as the CRH1 and CRH2 and it runs mainly in northern China due to its superior ability to operate in colder and harsher weather. The CRH5 family was plagued with problems at its introduction, so it'll most likely stay in northern China until it proves its worthiness to other regions.

The CRH3 is not exclusively for the Beijing-Tianjin line; the Beijing-Tianjin line just happens to be the first line to use this family of trains. CRH3 will most likely be also used on other 300-350km/h high-speed passenger only lines that are currently under constructions; that is unless the CRH3 proves to be a complete failure and the railway ministry decides to drop the family out of service completely.

A bit more information, although the CRH2s all look alike, there are at least 5 sub models to the family. The CRH2-XXXA is the original 8 carriage trains designed in Japan. There are also CRH2-XXXB, XXXC, XXXD and XXXE that designates other models such as ones with 16 carriages instead of the original 8, 8 carriage models with sleeper cars, 16 carriage models with sleeper cars and models capable of operating at 350km/h, instead of the original designed 250km/h. The 350km/h models currently operate on the Beijing-Tianjin line along side of the CRH3.

Thanks, however, I've been in a CRH2 at 350km/h, so even though they travel on regular rail, they have a higher top speed than 200km/h CRH1. And I meant CRH3 is only at Beijing Tianjin for now, of course it will be placed in other lines later. Anyway, it's obvious that you're the expert, thanks for the info.

[UD2]

Thanks, however, I've been in a CRH2 at 350km/h, so even though they travel on regular rail, they have a higher top speed than 200km/h CRH1. And I meant CRH3 is only at Beijing Tianjin for now, of course it will be placed in other lines later. Anyway, it's obvious that you're the expert, thanks for the info.

They're a different CRH2s. The ones that travel on regular rail only look similar to the 350km/h ones, but they are configurated differently. The ones that you're talking about are the CRH2-XXXC.

The 250KM/h ones are configured DT+M+M+T+T+M+M+DT.

The 350KM/h ones are I believe configured as DT+M+M+M+M+M+M+DT.

[UD2]

so you put your view of politics into this thread, expect us to accept it and just "stop on your part".

Really funny.....and the Transrapid Maglev deal failed, because the germans didnt want to hand out the core technology, not because of a monk.

they brought the first line without tech transfer didn't they? Believe what you will, but everything always have everything to do with everything else. Be it politics, economics, social structure or just plain not paying enough under the table.

The technology transfer is but one of the issues out standing. But if you think this is the only reason that's stopping them from buying the line, then you're underestimating both the Chinese and Transrapid.

And for your information Shanghai have, until now, approved the Transrapid Maglev extention (as far as I counted) at least 3 times, neither of which had Transrapid agreed to transfer technology. Shanghai do care about the technology, they also want the line. They even included the Maglev in the design of the Hongqiao Transit Hub, currently under construction. But the construction of the Maglev line still hasn't started. Can you tell me why?

[UMSHK]

Is there a map of China's vision of how the railway system will be like in 10 or 15 years? Which parts of the country is planning to build HSR?

[diting]

Is there a map of China's vision of how the railway system will be like in 10 or 15 years? Which parts of the country is planning to build HSR?

here it is :lastest version
Bold blue lines and bold red lines are all high speed railway
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0811/forumid_6/20081127_19d7b255e9795d7a907bhwkQCZXlIKRB.jpg

[UMSHK]

Great map! Thanks! What are the stippled lines? Are they visions?

[snow is red]

$730b plan to expand railways

2008-11-28


The national rail network is set to grow by 41,000 km by 2020, thanks to a 5 trillion yuan ($730 billion) government spending plan, a senior railways official said on Thursday.

By 2020, the country's rail network will stretch 120,000 km, Lu Dongfu, vice-minister of railways, said at a press conference in Beijing.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20081128/0013729e42ea0a996ce008.jpg

The large-scale projects will be good news for passengers, as journey times between capital cities will be "cut in half", he said.

The increased spending is part of the country's mid- to long-term railway plan, revisions to which were approved by the State Council on Oct 31, but announced only yesterday.

The project will include the construction of new rail lines, "doubling" existing ones, and the electrification of certain other sections, Lu said.

"By 2020, 41,000 km of new lines will be in place, up from the original plan to build 16,000 km of track," he said.

The massive plan will include the construction of routes linking China to Russia, Mongolia and other neighboring countries, and the expansion of cross-country routes, he said.

The high-speed rail network will also be extended by 16,000 km, rather than 12,000 km as originally planned, he said.

By 2020, the length of railways on which passenger trains can run at up to 200 kph will be 50,000 km, up from the planned 30,000 km, Lu said.

By linking all provincial capitals and cities with more than 500,000 residents, the network will be accessible to 90 percent of the population, he said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20081128/0013729e42ea0a996cf209.jpg

The changes to the railway plan were made partly in response to the need to boost domestic demand, he said.

Yang Zhongmin, director of the railway ministry's planning department, said the project will create 6 million jobs, and consume 20 million tons of steel and 120 million tons of cement.

A number of rail projects, valued at 1 trillion yuan, are already under construction across the country, he said.

Next year, 600 billion yuan will be spent on the construction of track and 100 billion yuan on buying rolling stock, Yang said.

Also on Thursday, Zheng Jian, deputy chief engineer with the ministry, responded to recent suggestions in the media that China has a shortage of skilled manpower.

"We have about 30,000 professionals in railway design and geological surveying, which is more than enough to meet our requirements," he said.

Also, stringent control mechanisms have been developed to monitor construction quality and the use of funds, he said.

By the end of this year, the country's rail network will have grown to 79,000 km.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-11/28/content_7249032.htm

[Whiteeclipse]

I hope China speeds up the development plan for the railways. They still need to catch up to European Union (236,436 km) and United states (226,612 km).

[big-dog]

China´s railway projects to boost GDP by 1.5%

11-28-2008 09:12
Railway authorities in China say they expect massive investment in the sector to boost GDP growth by as much as 1-and-a-half percent.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the Ministry of Railways announced plans to build 40,000 kilometers of new lines over the next 12 years.

Total investment is expected to hit 5 trillion yuan. But 15 billion yuan is likely to be spend by the end of this year alone on 25 new projects, including several express links.

The Ministry also confirmed it had got government approval for mid-and-long term construction plans, and that it expects to sell at least 100 billion yuan of construction bonds next year.

Expanding railways is one of the key parts of China's recently announced plan to spend up to 4 trillion yuan on developing infrastructure and boosting domestic demand.
(CCTV.com)

[big-dog]

China to operate 16,000-km passenger-dedicated lines by 2020


www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-27

BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) on Thursday increased the mileage of passenger-dedicated lines planned to be in service by 2020 to 16,000 km in a revised Medium- and Long-term Railway Network Plan.

According to the revised plan, announced officially on Thursday, China plans to have more than 120,000 km of rail lines by 2020, about 60 percent of which are to be electrified.

This is an increase on a 2004 plan for about 100,000 km of railways and 12,000 km passenger-dedicated lines by 2020. The old plan had only 50 percent of the country's railways electrified.

At a press conference held to announce the plan, MOR vice minister Lu Dongfu said the plan was approved by the State Council, or the Cabinet, on Oct. 31.

"The 16,000-km express passenger rail network (capable of speeds of more than 200 km/hour) is designed to link provincial cities with a population of more than 500,000. The network will significantly cut journey times," Lu said.

"Construction of all railway projects in the revised Medium- and Long-term Railway Network Plan will need a total investment of some 5 trillion yuan (732 billion U.S. dollars)," Lu said.

This revised Medium- and Long-term Railway Network Plan covers the years 2004-2020, and so includes money already spent and lines already built.

In addition some of the funding for the Medium- and Long-term Railway Network Plan money will come from the 4 trillion yuan economic stimulus package announced earlier this month (which covers the period 2009-2010), but the vice minister did not elaborate on which projects they were or how much money was involved.

New lines revealed in the plan, and not part of the economic stimulus package, include a line in Liaoning Province linking Shenyang to Dandong, and a line in Henan Province linking Zhengzhou (the provincial capital) and Luoyang.

"The revised plan is set to modernize the network and help the economy achieve sound and rapid development," said Lu.

"Railway has been the weakest chain in the country's infrastructure with insufficient capacity. Railway transportation has long lagged behind the economic development," Lu said.

China's laggard railway system has been having a hard time keeping up with the huge mobility needs and booming economy, Yang said. With many trains running near or above capacity, the country's rail network is strained, but the demands on it are increasing.

By the end of this year, Lu said China would have over 79,000-km rail lines in operation, about 6,000 km more than that at the end of 2003.

China currently only has one high-speed rail line in operation - the Beijing-Tianjin link, which is 120 km in length.

(Chinaview.cn)

[snow is red]

Shanghai-Beijing high-speed trains on track for next month

2008-11-24


A BEIJING-Shanghai high-speed night train is expected to debut next month, reducing travel time by more than 2 hours, a local newspaper reported today.

The Youth Daily report said railway authorities haven’t decided ticket prices or departure times yet for the approximate 9h15m trip. However, tickets are likely to be more than 500 yuan (US$73) considering the price of existing trains.

The highest current price for sleeper tickets between the two cities is 499 yuan.

One train will likely depart about 9:45pm in each city and arrive at their destinations about 7am the next day, according to the report. The shortest travel time for other trains between the two cities is 11.5 hours.

The trains are likely to be attractive to business passengers as they are comfortable and cheaper than flights, the report said.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200811/20081124/article_381851.htm

[henrypan123]

The CRH2 is one of the high-speed train models in China. The CRH2 is a modified E2-1000 Series Shinkansen design. Each train consists of 8 cars. The first 3 sets (numbers 2001-2003) were built in Japan, the next 6 sets (2004-2009) were delivered in complete knock down form and assembled by CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock. The remaining 51 sets (2010-2060) were built by Sifang through technology transfer from Japan.
These trains have a maximum operation speed 250 km/h.

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20070424_41d82bb3a5ecef67a79e7t4pK39oIP6j.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/China_railways_CRH2_unit_001.jpg/800px-China_railways_CRH2_unit_001.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20070424_e296755b7e81e75e7cf3PXHD7QsX4Wkx.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20070424_657b3b548726319475d1TgvBj2jSn32z.jpg


http://www.railwayvision.com/admin/edit/UploadFile/20071189305634.gif

http://images4.fotop.net/albums4/ltdigi/postphoto/DSCF8906.jpg

[henrypan123]

Sifang designed a variant of CRH2, also known as CRH2C, which has maximum operating speed up to 300 km/h by replacing two intermediate trailer cars with motored cars. The first batch of 300 km/h trains were rolled out from Sifang plant on December 2007, and expected to be running on Beijing-Tianjin Intercity line, along with German CRH3 trains.

During the test on 22 April 2008, CRH2C reached a top speed over 370 km/h on Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail.

http://homeimg.focus.cn/photo/3369697/3369697.jpg

http://homeimg.focus.cn/photo/3369689/3369689.jpg

http://homeimg.focus.cn/photo/3369695/3369695.jpg

http://homeimg.focus.cn/photo/3369698/3369698.jpg

http://homeimg.focus.cn/photo/3369712/3369712.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-08/01/xin_092080501100125010384.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-08/01/xin_0920805011001609258716.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-08/01/xin_10208050110013431610310.jpg

http://www.railway-club.com/bbs/attachments/forumid_7/20071222_9c4fb21599205431ab84vwZbMa2RJVxS.jpg

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-08/01/xin_1020805011001171145789.jpg

[foxmulder_ms]

Great pictures and info, thanks

[goschio]

http://www.railwayvision.com/admin/edit/UploadFile/20071189305634.gif

Nice view. Looks like busy high speed rail traffic.

[UD2]

Nice view. Looks like busy high speed rail traffic.

Most Chinese mainlines are at capacity. Taffic is usually very busy.

[SimFox]

CRH2C runs between Beijing and Tianjin with top speed of 342 km/h

[snow is red]

CRH2C runs between Beijing and Tianjin with top speed of 342 km/h

This is the report in Chinese that the train reached over 370 kmph in a test in April

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-04/25/content_8049113.htm

[snow is red]

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railroad nears completion

2008-12-07


BEIJING -- The Ministry of Railways (MOR) said here on Sunday that the world's longest high-speed rail line, connecting the capital and Shanghai, is nearing completion.

MOR spokesman Wang Yongping said 91 percent of the track length, or 1,203 km, has been completed. Remaining major tasks include bridges over the Huaihe and Yangtze rivers and the main terminal in Shanghai, he said. More than 110,000 workers are busy with the remainder of the project.
Trains will take less than five hours to make the run, which is now at least 11 hours.

The MOR has said it plans to have 120,000 km of rail lines in service by 2020, of which 16,000 km would be dedicated to only passenger services.

By the end of this year, China will have more than 79,000 km of rail lines. To meet the 2020 target will require about 5 trillion yuan (US$732 billion), the MOR said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/07/content_7279166.htm

[zergcerebrates]

^ what trains will be used? Is it those CRH?

[UD2]

^ what trains will be used? Is it those CRH?

Very likely to be CRH2-XXXE (or if it is not then it'll be something close like D) which is the sleeper train version of the 350km/h CRH2-XXXC.


CRH-2XXXC

http://railway.org.cn/revice/image/crh2c_3.jpg

[snow is red]

China to Invest 150 Bln Yuan in Railways in Shanxi Province


2008-12-07


China plans to invest more than 150 billion yuan (21.9 billion U.S. dollars) in its northern coal-rich Shanxi Province by 2015, according to officials from the Ministry of Railways and the province.

Shanxi, accounting for one-third of China's coal output, is expected to have 5,300 km of railways by 2015, up from 3,300 km at present, said Yang Zhongmin, head of the ministry's department of development and planning, at a meeting here in the capital of Shanxi on Saturday evening.

Construction will start in the first half of 2009 on at least three new rail lines, according to the meeting.

Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun pledged the ministry's support for the projects.

Zhang Baoshun, Secretary of the Shanxi provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, said the projects would play a positive role in boosting domestic demand amid the global financial crisis.

Zhang said the province's coal could be shipped directly to coastal ports in Shandong Province with the construction of a railway in the mid-southern part of Shanxi.

http://english.cri.cn/3130/2008/12/07/1601s430597.htm

[aquablue]

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railroad nears completion

2008-12-07


BEIJING -- The Ministry of Railways (MOR) said here on Sunday that the world's longest high-speed rail line, connecting the capital and Shanghai, is nearing completion.

MOR spokesman Wang Yongping said 91 percent of the track length, or 1,203 km, has been completed. Remaining major tasks include bridges over the Huaihe and Yangtze rivers and the main terminal in Shanghai, he said. More than 110,000 workers are busy with the remainder of the project.
Trains will take less than five hours to make the run, which is now at least 11 hours.

The MOR has said it plans to have 120,000 km of rail lines in service by 2020, of which 16,000 km would be dedicated to only passenger services.

By the end of this year, China will have more than 79,000 km of rail lines. To meet the 2020 target will require about 5 trillion yuan (US$732 billion), the MOR said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/07/content_7279166.htm

I thought news articles said that this broke ground only this year...how could it be nearly done already? 1200km HSR done in 1 year? :nuts:

[foxmulder_ms]

I had the same question. Is this news correct?

[snow is red]

^^ Around 24th of November, Shanghai Daily reported about the debut of this Shanghai-Beijing line around this month or early next year, so for the time being, we suppose that this news is correct. And plus I think Shanghai want to have everything in place and ready for the Expo 2010.

[foxmulder_ms]

what can I say? This must be a record. 1200km high speed, passenger dedicated railway in a year... wow!

[big-dog]

I still can not believe it, it's the same 350kmh Shanghai-Beijing rail? isn't it supposed to finish by 2012-2013? I remember the project starting ceremony was held only a couple of month ago.

[33Hz]

Already? No way.

Just a few days ago we had reports of a new 9 hour sleeper, not 350km/h HSR.

[snow is red]

I still can not believe it, it's the same 350kmh Shanghai-Beijing rail? isn't it supposed to finish by 2012-2013? I remember the project starting ceremony was held only a couple of month ago.

In September, 80% of the track was completed that is 1,059 km within 5 months.

Nearly 100,000 workers and engineers are involved in the US$31.6 billion project, and they will use 21,000 pieces of machinery, according to the leading group of the project.

http://en.chinagate.com.cn/news/2008-09/19/content_16502982.htm

There were many changes regarding to this project, 2006, the planned operation speed for this line was just 200kmph and the construction was meant to start in 2006 .

In 2007, the intended completion year was forecasted to be in 2013 and not in time for the Expo 2010.

Ground-breaking ceremony of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway was on April 18, 2008.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/18/content_8002058.htm
The whole railway is said to be completed in 5 years, but it seems like everything will be fully operational by next year.

Trains would run at speeds of 350 km per hour. China's first domestically produced train, able to reach 350 kilometers per hour.All the technological equipments for the self-designed line was produced by domestic companies.

[UD2]

Already? No way.

Just a few days ago we had reports of a new 9 hour sleeper, not 350km/h HSR.

it's a sleeper. you heard right.

[big-dog]

@02tonyl. Thanks for the info.

Hope everything works fine. It'll be a miracle is it can be in opertaion by 2010.

[33Hz]

The linked story says construction has started on 80% of the line, not that it is completed.

In light of things like http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-09/02/content_6988059.htm it seems too far fetched to me.

[Andrew]

They're not true, here's another article that clears up the confusion:

Beijing-Shanghai HSR: 91% Done (Well, Almost, That Is)

91% of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway done! (If you take just the cursory-est glances at the headlines, you sure feel that way.) Wow-ee, now that was fast.

We certainly hope it was the case. Actually, word's out that works have just begun at the 91% stretch. That means that work is but merely beginning. It'll take quite a while for the whole thing to be built -- bridges, tracks, the whole thingamajig.

We hope works begin on the remaining 9% real soon. By the way, when the Beijing-Shanghai HSR is finally done in 2012-2013-ish, rail travel between the Jing and Shanghai will be cut down to 5 hours or less at speeds exceeding 350 km/h. The Beijing-Shanghai HSR will join its Beijing-Tianjin brethren at the Beijing South Railway Station.

What a difference it'll make once you hop off Subway Line 4 and jump on the HSR...

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/articles/blogs-beijing/beijingologist/beijing-shanghai-hsr-91-done-well-almost-that-is/

[staff]

^^
I would hardly use City Weekend as a source for these kinds of news though (rather, entertainment related news, like Shanghaiist etc.).

[hoosier]

Great job China. YOu are smart to invest in high speed and conventional passenger rail. In America, we are nearly incapable of investing in such projects because we think trains are communist and that God loves to burn oil and coal and drive on roads.:ohno:

[33Hz]

So 91% of the work is done but some complex bridges etc means it won't be ready until 2013? WTF?

Why would they throw 100,000 people at it with associated cost, only for those sections to sit around idle for 4 or 5 years?

Let's see some pics.

[snow is red]

^^
I would hardly use City Weekend as a source for these kinds of news though (rather, entertainment related news, like Shanghaiist etc.).

I agree, such news source only give me headaches with all the satire and sarcasm sometimes and hard to tell if they are being serious or not.

[staff]

^^
Plus they don't always have their facts straight about these kinds of things. Not that "normal media" by any extent is very reliable either, but City Weekend/Shanghaiist etc. don't even have to pretend to be doing any research...

[henrypan123]

The China Railways CRH5 is an electric multiple unit high-speed train in use by China Railway High-speed. China Railways has contracted Alstom to assemble 60 sets, which are based on Pendolino trains used in Finland. The CRH5 are non-tilting trains.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Crg5_shenyangbei.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1331/1476468585_82d9737f3b_o.jpg

http://pic.yupoo.com/fly0517/2819157ff1ed/medium.jpg

http://pic.yupoo.com/fly0517/9113857ff1ee/medium.jpg

http://pic.yupoo.com/fly0517/5936557ff1ef/medium.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5782/219601177050272yr0.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/5468/219601177053837nk0.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8344/219601177036116wl4.jpg

[hkskyline]

China Railway Signs 5 Construction Contracts Worth CNY5.84B
9 December 2008

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China Railway Group Ltd. (0390.HK) said Tuesday it recently signed five rail construction projects worth a total of CNY5.84 billion.

China Railway, the world's third-largest construction contractor by revenue, said it signed construction contracts for rail links in Chinese cities including Chongqing, Xian and Wuhan.

It said the contracts are equivalent to 3.24% of its 2007 core revenue.

China Railway Group, which is listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, has built over two-thirds of China's more than 75,000 kilometers of railway links and 95% of the country's electrified railway lines. It also builds expressways, bridges and tunnels.

[snow is red]

Railway construction project in south China to link region

2008-12-14

NANNING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) --Work on a massive transportation project in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is underway.

Construction on four railroads got underway this October. Sunday, the Office for Railway Construction said work will begin on another 12 lines at the beginning of 2009.

Combined all 16 railroads will stretch 4,262 kilometers. Of that, 2,802 kilometers will be in Guangxi.

The estimated cost of the infrastructure project is placed at 196.2 billion yuan (about 28.85 billion U.S. dollars), said Li Hongqing, deputy chief of the regional office for railway construction.

"A modernized railway network will be in place by the year 2016,with Nanning, the regional capital of Guangxi, as the center," said Li. "The lines will link up to southwestern and central China, and to ASEAN member states."

Not only will there be more destinations for travelers it will also take them less time to get places.

A single journey from Nanning to Beijing will only take nine hours instead of the current 28 hours, according to Ma Biao, chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Government.

Inter-city train services will also help shorten travel time from the regional capital to three coastal cities on Beibu Gulf --Qinzhou, Beihai and Fangchenggang-- to all within one hour's journey, said Ma.

Currently, it takes one and a half hours for a single journey by train from Nanning to Qinzhou, or three hours from Nanning to Beihai. There is no direct train service from Nanning to Fangchenggang.

By 2007, there were only 2,750 kilometers of railway roads in service across Guangxi and 1,879 kilometers of freeways.

"The existing railroads were backward and fell far behind from meeting the growing demand in Guangxi, which has put our region at a disadvantageous position," said Chairman Ma.

Guangxi will invest more than 400 billion yuan (58 billion U.S. dollars) on transportation infrastructure over the next five years, Ma said at a specially convened press conference held in Beijing early this month.

Industry observers say the transportation construction boom will help Guangxi improve its potential appeal and win over more investors.

Guangxi Autonomous Regional Office for Railway Construction is a new agency created late last month under the regional government to oversee railway construction work.

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, one of China's five minority autonomous regions, borders Vietnam.

It was founded on Dec. 11, 1958 and has 12 ethnic groups. The total population in Guangxi by the end of 2007 was more than 50 million, a third are of the Zhuang ethnic minority.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/14/content_10503524.htm

[hkskyline]

S. China region, Vietnam to start regular rail service in January

NANNING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Passenger trains between south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vietnam will have regular daily service starting on January 1, China's railway authorities said on Thursday.

The train will leave Nanning, Guangxi's capital, at 6:15 p.m. and arrive in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, at 7 a.m. the next day. There will also be a train departing Hanoi at 8:30 p.m.. It reaches Nanning at 10:05 a.m. the next day.

The trains, which run daily, are operated by the Nanning Railway Bureau, said Chen Boshi, the bureau's director.

Chen said a regular passenger route would alleviate high demand from Vietnam's businessmen, laborers and students in Guangxi.

Currently, temporary passenger rail service from Nanning to Hanoi only runs on Tuesday and Saturday.

[UD2]

The China Railways CRH5 is an electric multiple unit high-speed train in use by China Railway High-speed. China Railways has contracted Alstom to assemble 60 sets, which are based on Pendolino trains used in Finland. The CRH5 are non-tilting trains.



http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5782/219601177050272yr0.jpg




If you ask me. The CRH5 are the best looking family of trains in the entire ranks of high-speed trains in China.

Too bad they had such so many problems during its rough start. I really expected Alstom to put more efforts into building their trains. Especially for a customer such as China, which carry potentials of endless follow-on orders.

Bombardier got a huge follow-on order already, Hitachi is in an even better position than Bombardier and even Siemens, which completely pissed the Chinese off during the first round bid process have secured some orders in their 300km/h class of trains. To date, I haven't heard of any large follow-on orders being placed for Alstoms, have anyone else?

[foxmulder_ms]

Yeah.. Alstom is the worst one among those four as far as i have red.

[diting]

http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081212_8928e3047ae8d681bde3O58oh2a2S_asp.jpg
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081212_99380b46196f30071df9vWSd5S4PNZcQ.jpg

[diting]

1.shanghai hongqiao hub(上海虹桥站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_7cfad2689d4acf332fe0JFoGIzjKEqJ3.jpg
2.new guangzhou railway station(新广州站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_7cd3dd350fdee75f52d5EE9PaArEX45p.jpg
3.hangzhou east railway station(杭州东站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_a76dafdeb985273430a6sQjOU515Us05.jpg
4.nanjing south railway station(南京南站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_11f4047d8d288607e62dxeRTG9EXJNj2.jpg
5.wuhan new railway station(武汉站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_b7cf026d105dda7f3268ZM5LU5jUj11b.jpg

[diting]

6.xuzhou new railway station(新徐州站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081213_2709f24b6606ec6c0d3b3f8hP1F1XN0O.jpg
7.zhengzhou new railway station(郑州东站)
http://bbs.hasea.com/attachments/month_0812/forumid_29/20081214_cf446bcf8a2ea5319d0cZiVujPYq8uI5.jpg

there are dozens to come :banana:

[foxmulder_ms]

model looks fantastic!

[staff]

Great maps too. China's railway infrastructure will be fantastic in a not too distant future!

[big-dog]

Beijing-Hangzhou Sleeper HSR debut on Dec 21 '08

Duration: 11 hours 22 minutes
Max speed: 250km/h
Sleeper one-way price: 730 - 840 Yuan

http://img2.cache.netease.com/cnews/2008/12/17/20081217133734b49c9.jpg

http://img1.cache.netease.com/cnews/2008/12/17/20081217133453858de.jpg

http://img2.cache.netease.com/cnews/2008/12/17/20081217132708fed68.jpg

http://img1.cache.netease.com/cnews/2008/12/17/2008121713364872497.jpg

(from 东方网)

[hkskyline]

Get your head down for a trip to Beijing
17 December 2008
Shanghai Daily

The express trains offering sleepers will not only run faster than normal express trains between Shanghai and Beijing but ensure a more comfortable ride because of their improved design, the Shanghai railway administration said yesterday.

The country's first bullet trains to offer sleeping compartments will come into service on Sunday between Shanghai and Beijing and between Beijing and Hangzhou in neighboring Zhejiang Province. A trip from Shanghai to Beijing will take 9 hours and 59 minutes, 1 hour and 29 minutes shorter than the previous fastest non-stop express.

The new trains will each have 16 carriages with a total capacity of 630 passengers.

Thirteen of the carriages will offer sleeping berths for 520 passengers, while the other two carriages will provide normal seating for 110 people.

Each sleeper carriage will have 10 separate compartments.

One carriage will be used as a restaurant and pub.

Touch control panels and reading lamps are installed at each berth and each sleeper will also have an LCD TV installed with passengers able to use headphones to watch TV without disturbing others.

Sockets on all carriages allow recharging of electronic appliances while mothers will find a baby-care table in each of the toilets on board.

There will be service-call buttons available inside the toilets and each sleeper compartment.

Two trains, the D306 and D302, will leave Shanghai for Beijing every day starting on Sunday at 9:41pm and 9:46pm. Their counterpart trains, the D301 and D305, head for Shanghai from Beijing at 9:39pm and 9:44pm daily, officials said.

The trains will be less noisy and run much more smoothly than previous trains, the railway officials said.

An upper berth costs 655 yuan and a lower sleeper 730 yuan for a single journey, said the railway operators.

[hoosier]

250 km/h is not true HSR. Speeds of at least 300 km/h are needed, especially on a trip from Beijing to Shanghai. 9 1/2 hours is too long.

[ANR]

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-21

China will spend 5 trillion yuan ($730.6 billion) until 2020 to add 41,000 km (25,480 miles) to its already big rail network, state media said, as the government tries to boost domestic demand and ease strains on a jammed system.

The latest edition of Outlook Weekly, published by Xinhua news agency, cited Deputy Railway Minister Lu Dongfu as saying the new railways would help promote economic growth, ease transport bottlenecks and provide at least six million jobs. It did not say how much of the investment was new, and how much had already been approved by the central government, although some of the projects have already begun, such as a high-speed link from Beijing to the commercial capital Shanghai. "Over the next two years these projects will satisfy urgent transport needs, ease bottlenecks on the railways, promote regional economic development and economic growth," Outlook Weekly paraphrased Lu as saying.

New railways would be built linking major cities, and others would be dedicated to transporting coal in inland provinces and regions including Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, the report said. Last month China announced a sweeping 4 trillion yuan economic stimulus package of spending over the next two years, with a large portion of the funds targeting infrastructure projects such as roads and railways. Beijing wants to boost domestic demand to help offset a slowdown in key export markets in Europe and North America, hoping to generate enough jobs to keep a lid on labour unrest and social instability.

While China has an extensive and increasingly efficient rail network, it is still beset by problems, and many parts of the country have poor or non-existent connections. Every year during the Lunar New Year, millions of Chinese pack the railways to go home, many standing for hours as seats are so hard to get hold of. Even at normal times it can be hard to obtain a ticket.

The railways are also important haulers of freight and energy supplies such as coal around the country, but sheer volume of traffic can lead to delays and slow delivery. The government has been spending billions of dollars on transport over the past few decades, and hopes to improve access especially to China's vast and underdeveloped inland regions.

"Once the railways are open, conditions will improve and more trains will be able to run, leading to lower transport costs, shorter travel times for passengers and freight and other direct economic benefits," the report quoted railway planning chief Yang Zhongmin as saying. "It will also ease communication restrictions, improve the investment environment and have an enormous effect on industrial development," Yang added.

[ANR]

From China Daily on 12/23/08:

China Railway Construction Corp (CRCC), a major railway builder in China, has won contracts worth 24.97 billion yuan ($3.65 billion) for rail construction projects in southern China through its six subsidiaries, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Dec 23.

The value of the contracts is equivalent to 14.07 percent of the company's 2007 sales under domestic accounting standards.

Included in the contracts is the new railway from Guiyang, capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province, to Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, which is among China's massive stimulus package to develop infrastructures.

China Railway Group, the country's largest railway and highway builder, said its subsidiaries had won 7.91 billion yuan in rail construction contracts, equivalent to 4.38 percent of its 2007 sales.

Another construction contractor, China Railway Erju Co Ltd, won contracts worth 5.36 billion yuan.

China will spend 5 trillion yuan by 2020 to add another 41,000 km to its rail network, Xinhua news agency reported over the weekend.

[foxmulder_ms]

250 km/h is not true HSR. Speeds of at least 300 km/h are needed, especially on a trip from Beijing to Shanghai. 9 1/2 hours is too long.

patience may friend... :)

[henrypan123]

The CRH3 is now a high-speed train used on the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail line in China. It is capable of service speed of 350 km/h.

The first three were built in Germany by Siemens, and the rest are being built partly by Tangshan Railway Vehicle and in Germany.

On July 27, 2006, the joint project office was opened at Tangshan, Hebei Province. Of the German trains, the first one was shipped from Bremerhaven on December 19, 2007. The first Chinese-built CRH3 was unveiled on April 11, 2008.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/CRH3.JPG/800px-CRH3.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_7x_HOKWalos/SJf2Sv3-5MI/AAAAAAAAHFg/QO5rn4JYQvQ/IMG_0156.JPG

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1000/20080723/000d87ad444e09f0b3bb03.jpg

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1000/20080723/000d87ad444e09f0b3c104.jpg

http://images.qianlong.com/mmsource/images/2008/07/01/fyb08070110.jpg

http://pic.anhuinews.com/0/01/51/13/1511327_521543.jpg

http://www.tieliu.com.cn/Article/UploadFiles/200807/20080725160856465.jpg

http://news.gxradio.com/newsimages/2008/0707/tpxw/xin_4220705062000796792390.jpg

http://pic.anhuinews.com/0/01/51/13/1511328_436172.jpg

[RSG]

I really like the look of these trains. Take note Australian Government.

[staff]

http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/761/official_highspeed_rail_to_connect_shanghai_kunming_by_2015
Official: High-speed rail to connect Shanghai, Kunming by 2015

Thursday, 18th December 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (3)

A feasibility study is underway for a new high-speed rail line between Shanghai and Kunming, construction of which is expected to begin in 2009, according to Kunming media reports.

The new rail line, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015 – around the same time that the rail network linking Kunming and Singapore is hoped to be completed – will shorten the travel time between Shanghai and Kunming from 37 hours to less than nine hours.

The Shanghai-Kunming passenger line (沪昆客运专线) will connect Shanghai and Kunming via the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan, passing through the major cities of Hangzhou, Nanchang and Changsha. Its target speed is reportedly 350 km/hr – compare to France's TGV and Japan's Shinkansen aka 'Bullet Train' which currently operate at 320 and 300 km/hr, respectively.

The cross-country line is part of a nationwide rail upgrade that has allocated 500 million yuan (US$73.2 million) in funds for Yunnan province alone.

According to China Rail Ministry plans, Yunnan will not only be on the receiving end of improved rail connectivity with central and eastern China over the next six to seven years, it will also improve its regional and internal rail network. Kunming Rail Ministry officials told local media that the following projects have also been approved:


• Lijiang to Shangri-la (Zhongdian): schedule yet to be made public

• Yunnan to Guilin – construction to start next year and finish in 2015

• A rail line around Dianchi Lake: scheduled for completion in 2010

• Guangtong to Dali: schedule yet to be made public

• Kunming to Yuxi: construction to start next year and finish in 2015

[hoosier]

The Chinese government gets it when it comes to the connection between infrastructure investment and economic growth and prosperity.

I get so excited reading about all of the new rail construction in CHina!:)

[nachalnik]

250 km/h is not true HSR. Speeds of at least 300 km/h are needed, especially on a trip from Beijing to Shanghai. 9 1/2 hours is too long.


9,5 hours is perfect - consider that it is an overnight-train. Boarding at 2230, going to bed at 2300, sleeping 8 hrs till 0700, arrival at 0800 - what can be better?

[ANR]

Beijing is ramping up its shipping and passenger network--but may need to cede control to attract investors

October 23, 2008 from Business Week
By Chi-Chu Tschang

Beijing - Two or three times a year, Cargill's joint-venture fertilizer plant in China's remote Yunnan province has to shut down, usually for weeks at a stretch. That's when there aren't any railcars available for shipping its fertilizer to customers across China. Without railcars, the factory's warehouse fills to overflowing, and production has to halt. "There's a huge demand for shipping, but the railroads can only meet 30% of the demand," says Zhang Hong, sales manager of the plant, which shut down yet again in October.

For decades, China has neglected investment in railroads in favor of building highways. With less than 49,000 miles of rails, China has roughly a third of America's track for an area of similar size. The nation's rails carry a quarter of global train cargo and passenger traffic on only 6% of the world's track, making its system the busiest on the planet. "China's strained railroads have already become a bottleneck for the economy," says Yu Tengqun, secretary of the board of state-owned China Railway Group, which has built two-thirds of China's railroad network since 1949.

CRISSCROSSING THE MAP
China is now undertaking the world's biggest railway expansion since the U.S. laid its transcontinental line in the 1860s. Beijing plans to spend $248 billion through 2020 on 75,000 miles of new track, for both freight and high-speed passenger lines. At that point, China's high-speed passenger network will likely be the biggest on earth.

Despite these colossal ambitions, a nagging question remains: Can anyone make money from all this? Equipment suppliers, such as China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp. and multinationals like Siemens, certainly can. But it's hard to profit from running a railroad on the mainland. Analysts at UBS estimate China's Ministry of Railways, which operates the railroads, has a net profit margin of less than one percent on revenues of about $35 billion. The Ministry maintains majority control over all rail lines and sets freight rates for farm products and ticket prices for migrant workers at artificially low levels. It wouldn't comment for this article.
That pricing policy is politically smart but commercially ruinous. Only 16 of China's 26 joint-venture railway companies―each of which involve the Ministry and often local governments as well―are marginally profitable, according to UBS. The rest chug along in the red. In June, China's first private enterprise to invest in a railway project, Guangyu Group, decided to reduce its stake in the Quchang Railway to 19%, from 34%. The company was unwilling to comment.

Pressure on the Ministry of Railways to find the billions needed for all this expansion may eventually force it to loosen its grip on pricing and cede control of at least some of the railroads. "There is a lot of capital now that is very interested in building railroads," says Zhao Jian, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University who researches railway reforms. Until that happens, China's rail industry will continue to attract more business than it can handle and fewer investors than it needs.

[henrypan123]

CRH is short for China Railway Highspeed.
Please visit this website to see the report and video：
http://news.163.com/08/1222/08/4TOL5IAL0001124J.html


http://www.shaoxing.com.cn/life/images/attachement/jpg/site21/20081225/0016d331e96f0abd091a0b.jpg

http://img2.cache.netease.com/cnews/2008/12/22/200812220811215702e.jpg


http://i0.sinaimg.cn/dy/o/2008-12-22/f02270f7d7e0930b27edca3df692e52f.jpg

http://www.whjs.gov.cn/newscn/images/2007-04/18/xinsrc_1004041809057182287611.jpg

http://sh.news.sina.com.cn/20081222/U629P18T90D96188F1526DT20081222094830.jpg

http://i0.sinaimg.cn/dy/c/p/2008-12-17/U2598P1T1D16865095F1394DT20081217095604.jpg

http://i0.sinaimg.cn/dy/c/p/2008-12-17/U2598P1T1D16865095F23DT20081217095604.jpg

http://img.ifeng.com/hres/200812/17/10/9efe2ba68dc3ee0211a093cb845d016e.jpg

http://img1.cache.netease.com/catchpic/5/54/54D57D38444C11013D5B6784D9F2FABC.jpg

[SimFox]

At these prices (650-750RMB) how could they compete with planes that are at about 350 RMB for the same BJ-SH / BJ -HZ routes??

[Whiteeclipse]

At these prices (650-750RMB) how could they compete with planes that are at about 350 RMB for the same BJ-SH / BJ -HZ routes??

Good question.

I myself think people think it's safer to use rail then air.

[Whiteeclipse]

For decades, China has neglected investment in railroads in favor of building highways.

I think the reason for that is because using highways to move cargo with trucks provides more jobs which is why maybe China is investing alot more into highways for now.

[Andrew]

I think the reason for that is because using highways to move cargo with trucks provides more jobs which is why maybe China is investing alot more into highways for now.
I think there is also the fact that even though it was not high-tech or fast, one legacy of China's communist period was a very extensive railway network. I think in comparison, roads didn't receive anything like as much investment under Mao as rail did.

Now that they've mostly brought the road network up to scratch, they can focus on supplementing China's already very comprehensive and successful railway network by providing direct high capacity, high speed services to key cities in order to encourage further economic development. I think as far as infrastructure goes, China's government has its priorities right.

[antovador]

At these prices (650-750RMB) how could they compete with planes that are at about 350 RMB for the same BJ-SH / BJ -HZ routes??

Good question.

I myself think people think it's safer to use rail then air.

More than that, China need an efficient network transportation to not use vast quantity of oil but China, for now, has coal to use in electricity plants. Then high speed train is an answer to help China not depend much to oil. In planes, oil prices influences more directly the price of plane travel , 350 rmb can be more expensive rapidly without talking about fees and procedures more complicates than in trains. However, high speed train or not, the train transportation can use many types of energy supply not only oil but electricity too by coal plants, dams, nuclear plants and renewables energies of course to reduce pollutants. For now, planes use only kerosen from oil and takes decades for another energy supply for mass plane transportation.

[henrypan123]

I have just updated the post on #947. So the photos are available now.

[hoosier]

Why should rail lines make money? Transportation is a public good and should be funded by the government.

[ANR]

From: www.chinamining.org
Updated: 2008-11-25


Chinese government's stimulus package will bring a demand of 245 billion to 350 billion yuan for rail steel, according to Haitong Securities.

Earlier, the government announced the stimulus package that includes a 3,500-billion-yuan investment into the railway industry in the next three years, 7~10 percent of which will go to the rail construction.

Currently, the four major rail steel producers in China are Angang Steel, Baogang Steel, Panzhihua New Steel & Vanadium and Wuhan Iron and Steel. Among them, Panzhihua New Steel & Vanadium enjoys the largest output volume, with an expected heavy rail steel production of over one million tons this year.

Railway investment plan for 2009 alone will reach 600 billion yuan, up 70 percent from this year, according to Yang Zhongmin from China Railway Ministry. And railway infrastructure construction will increase the steel demand by eight million tons to 20 million tons next year, of which the rail steel demand alone grows by 3.5 million tons.

The current total output of the above four steel producers is around 4.5 million tons per year. Thus, expanding their production capacity will be necessary.

Rail steel production of Wuhan Iron and Steel can reach 250,000 tons this year. And the company will enter the high-speed railway market next year if its products for 350-km/h railways pass related technical tests at the end of this year. By then, its annual production will rise to 1.05 million tons.

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, the only high-speed railway under construction in China presently, will need rail steel of around 300,000 tons, almost 1/12 of the country's total production capacity. The project will probably start to invite bids for rail steel (mainly for 350-km/h railways) at the end of 2009, according to market insiders.

Panzhihua Steel covers 40-percent shares on China's heavy rail steel market. On the current huge investment from the government, Panzhihua Steel Group and Vanadium have determined to increase the output of heavy steel to over 100,000 tons per month.

[test0012]

From: www.chinamining.org
Updated: 2008-11-25

Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, the only high-speed railway under construction in China presently, will need rail steel of around 300,000 tons, almost 1/12 of the country's total production capacity. The project will probably start to invite bids for rail steel (mainly for 350-km/h railways) at the end of 2009, according to market insiders.



Dozens of HSRL is under construction in China presently.

[snow is red]

China completes 1st high-speed railway in central region

2008-12-30

WUHAN - Construction of the Hefei-Wuhan Railway, the first high-speed line in central China, has been completed after three years, the government of Wuhan City said on Tuesday.

The 350-km line cost 16.8 billion yuan (US$2.46 billion). It will reduce travel time from eight and a half hours to two hours. Trains will run at 200 km per hour, the Wuhan government said.

The line is the middle part of China's first east-west high-speed rail link, the Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu Railway.

The Ministry of Railways plans to have 120,000 km of lines in service by 2020, of which 16,000 km would be exclusively for passenger services. At present, China has more than 79,000 km of rail lines. To meet the 2020 target will cost about 5 trillion yuan, the ministry said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/30/content_7354906.htm

[BarbaricManchurian]

Dozens of HSRL is under construction in China presently.

lol, the article just got pwnd by the post right after yours, what inaccurate information, surprising since it's actually a Chinese news source that should know better!

[snow is red]

^^ Good news source to quote like Xinhua and China Daily regarding to stuff like this, they have rather accurate information.....well if you don't mind a few typos sometimes.

[snow is red]

China to double railway investment in 2009

2008-12-31

BEIJING - Amid a surge in planned infrastructure projects next year aimed at boosting domestic demand, China plans to almost double its investment in railways to about 600 billion yuan (US$87.9 billion).

The money is part of the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package announced by the government earlier this year.

In 2008, China spent 330 billion yuan on railways, according to a national conference on railway construction held here Wednesday.

Part of next year's 600 billion yuan would be used to build a total of 5,148 km of new rails, said Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun at the meeting.

The money will also help put five passenger-dedicated, high-speed lines into operation next year, according to Liu. These rails will link the central city of Wuhan to the southern city of Guangzhou; Zhengzhou in central Henan Province to Xi'an in northwest Shaanxi Province; Ningbo to Wenzhou, both in east China's Zhejiang Province; Wenzhou to Fuzhou in southern Fujian Province; and Fuzhou to Xiamen, also in Fujian.

The ministry also planned to start 70 new projects next year with part of the money. Those projects will need a total investment of 1.5 trillion yuan to be completed, Liu said.

Rail transport strain to be eased

Liu also predicted railway travel would be much easier by 2012. Currently, there are not enough seats for all the people who want to travel, especially during the Spring Festival every year, when millions are on the move.

"There could be a historical change in the country's railway transport by 2012. The bottle-neck restraints both in passenger and cargo transportation could be removed," he said.

Railways inside the country would reach 110,000 km by 2012. About 13,000 km of passenger lines, which allow trains to travel between 200 to 350 km per hour, would be put into use.

"Such coverage of passenger rails should be able to ensure that passenger needs are satisfied," he said

Rail lines across the country added up to 78,000 km at the end of 2007.

The ministry also plans to add more rails to busy routes and to provide separate rails for passenger and cargo transport. This should also help boost transport capacity and efficiency by 2012.

Liu envisioned inter-city rail systems would be put into place by 2012 in populous regions, such as the Shanghai-led Yangtze River Delta, Guangzhou-centered Pearl River Delta and Beijing-led Bohai areas.

Construction on railways began to boom in China after the country initiated a mid- and long-term plan in 2004. Liu said the country revised the plan this year so the distance of rail lines would increase to 120,000 km by 2020, from the original goal of 100,000 km.

The country also raised rail speeds to help with passenger flow. The latest change came in April last year.

About 1.46 billion people traveled by rail this year, up 10.9 percent from last year. Both transport capacity and efficiency had improved after train speeds increased, Liu said.

In addition, 3.3 billion tonnes of cargo had been delivered by rail, up 4.9 percent year on year.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/31/content_7358177.htm

[zaphod]

Are there stations in between the cities?

Even though city-to-city it might be quicker to fly, if you want to go to a town in between fast but there aren't regular flights the high speed train is better.

I live in a town in Texas with 150,000 people. To go by air there are only 2 daily flights to Dallas. But we are on a planned(yeah right...) high-speed line and someday you could just take the train at any time you want to another city with better airline options(like Southwest at Austin).

[big-dog]

I think there is also the fact that even though it was not high-tech or fast, one legacy of China's communist period was a very extensive railway network. I think in comparison, roads didn't receive anything like as much investment under Mao as rail did.

Now that they've mostly brought the road network up to scratch, they can focus on supplementing China's already very comprehensive and successful railway network by providing direct high capacity, high speed services to key cities in order to encourage further economic development. I think as far as infrastructure goes, China's government has its priorities right.

Road construction is mutual beneficial with automoble industry development. China's 10-million auto production might be the main reason for recent rapid highway development (vice versa).

[SimFox]

Are there stations in between the cities?

Even though city-to-city it might be quicker to fly, if you want to go to a town in between fast but there aren't regular flights the high speed train is better.

I live in a town in Texas with 150,000 people. To go by air there are only 2 daily flights to Dallas. But we are on a planned(yeah right...) high-speed line and someday you could just take the train at any time you want to another city with better airline options(like Southwest at Austin).

normally those highspeed lines are direct eg Tianjin-Beijing trains don't stop anywhere in between. And as far as I know those new highspeed sleeper train between Beijing and Shanghai are also non-stop. In a way this is sort of penalty people residing in the small towns have to pay. Taxes they pay help building that infrastructure, but they don't really benefit much from it. It mostly servicing major metropolises (of which in China are plenty)

[test0012]

normally those highspeed lines are direct eg Tianjin-Beijing trains don't stop anywhere in between. And as far as I know those new highspeed sleeper train between Beijing and Shanghai are also non-stop. In a way this is sort of penalty people residing in the small towns have to pay. Taxes they pay help building that infrastructure, but they don't really benefit much from it. It mostly servicing major metropolises (of which in China are plenty)

Incorrect.

Train C2201, C2201, C2202, ... C2212 between Beijing South Station and Tianjin Station stop at Wuqing Station.

Train D301 and D302 Beijing-Shanghai sleeper EMU stop at Wuxi (before 2009-01-02) or Changzhou (after 2009-01-02); Train D305 and D306 sleeper EMU between Beijing and Shanghai stop at Nanjing; Train D309 from Beijing to Hangzhou stop at Wuxi after 2009-01-02, and D310 from Hangzhou to Beijing will stop at Changzhou after 2009-01-01.

[snow is red]

China's northern passenger railway on trial run

2009-01-01


A 250 km-per-hour passenger railway between the coal-rich Shanxi province and neighboring Hebei province went into trial operation on Thursday.

The 190 kilometer rail line links Shijiazhuang to Taiyuan, cities of the northern provinces. It is estimated to carry 15 million one-way passengers a year in 2020 and more than 25 million a year in 2030.

The railway would distribute the passenger flow and let the original passenger-goods mixed lines carry more coal from Shanxi.

The 12.64-billion-yuan project ($1.8 billion) began construction in 2005. The line runs through 94 bridges and 32 tunnels, including China's longest mountain tunnel with a length of 27.8 km.

Another five high-speed passenger lines, mostly in southern China, will go into operation in 2009, according to the Ministry of Railways (MOR).

The MOR plans to have 120,000 km of lines in service by 2020, of which 16,000 km would be exclusively for passenger services. At present, China has more than 79,000 km of rail lines. To meet the 2020 target will cost about 5 trillion yuan, the ministry said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-01/01/content_7359679.htm

[SimFox]

Incorrect.

Train C2201, C2201, C2202, ... C2212 between Beijing South Station and Tianjin Station stop at Wuqing Station.

Train D301 and D302 Beijing-Shanghai sleeper EMU stop at Wuxi (before 2009-01-02) or Changzhou (after 2009-01-02); Train D305 and D306 sleeper EMU between Beijing and Shanghai stop at Nanjing; Train D309 from Beijing to Hangzhou stop at Wuxi after 2009-01-02, and D310 from Hangzhou to Beijing will stop at Changzhou after 2009-01-01.

hm... I never noticed that trains between Tianjin and Beijing are actually stopping anywhere... What are the departure times of those you've mentioned?Early morning?

For the second part I think you have actually supported point. Neither Neither of the places you've listed are in the category we were talking off. They are all major cities in they own right. Also stop at Wuxi and even Nanjing is clearly to provide Bejing-Wuxi and Beijing-Nanjing service since it is just any huor or so ride from Shanghai (Wuxi, Nanjing is a bit farther...).

But all the smaller towns along those rots are effectively cut off from them. But, I guess, that's is the nature of high speed train service. It can't stop on every station, or it wouldn't be high speed

[test0012]

hm... I never noticed that trains between Tianjin and Beijing are actually stopping anywhere... What are the departure times of those you've mentioned?Early morning?

All the day. It's not a single train, but twelve from both direction.

[BarbaricManchurian]

hm... I never noticed that trains between Tianjin and Beijing are actually stopping anywhere... What are the departure times of those you've mentioned?Early morning?

For the second part I think you have actually supported point. Neither Neither of the places you've listed are in the category we were talking off. They are all major cities in they own right. Also stop at Wuxi and even Nanjing is clearly to provide Bejing-Wuxi and Beijing-Nanjing service since it is just any huor or so ride from Shanghai (Wuxi, Nanjing is a bit farther...).

But all the smaller towns along those rots are effectively cut off from them. But, I guess, that's is the nature of high speed train service. It can't stop on every station, or it wouldn't be high speed

All trains stop at Wuqing, some trains stop at more places though. Wuqing is a town of 50,000, and the other stops on the route have populations of around 20-100,000; at least one train stops at a low-demand HSR stop per day.

Same thing for Shanghai-Beijing, but the cities along the stops are bigger...it stops at Tianjin West and some other stops, in addition to the stops already mentioned.

[test0012]

Incorrect. Only 12 trains stop at Wuqing. Currently, no other stations is open for service on the Beijing-Tianjin line.

All trains stop at Wuqing, some trains stop at more places though. Wuqing is a town of 50,000, and the other stops on the route have populations of around 20-100,000; at least one train stops at a low-demand HSR stop per day.

Same thing for Shanghai-Beijing, but the cities along the stops are bigger...it stops at Tianjin West and some other stops, in addition to the stops already mentioned.

[ANR]

By Robert Wright in London

Last updated: January 1 2009 by The Financial Times

Western countries should close their markets to sales of Chinese trains because China’s domestic market is closing to outside suppliers, says the head of one of the world’s largest rolling stock builders.

In a Financial Times interview, Philippe Mellier, chief executive of Paris-based Alstom Transport, also claimed that Chinese companies were offering trains for export using technology derived from western suppliers. Such technology is usually supplied on condition it not be used outside China. The comments by Mr Mellier, whose company is the world’s number two trainmaker, underline the growing tension in the world’s train-building industry over China’s role.

China promises to become one of the world’s most significant markets for high-speed trains, metro cars, freight locomotives and many other forms of rolling stock. However, after a period when China signed contracts with several suppliers from other parts of the world to transfer technology to itself, it is gradually insisting new trains be entirely domestically designed and built. Chinese manufacturers are also increasingly seeking orders in the European heartland of Alstom, Bombardier Transportation, the world number one, and Siemens, the number three. One has already won a small order to build trains for the UK market, while another was included in a shortlist of bidders for an order by the UK’s Department for Transport on December 22.

Mr Mellier said: “We’re starting to see Chinese companies answering tenders around the world with Chinese freight locomotives, some of them being based on transferred technology.” A similar process was under way with tenders to supply metro cars, he added. Mr Mellier, whose company builds France’s TGV high-speed train and has exported high-speed trains to several countries, pointed out that tenders for high-speed trains for new Beijing to Shanghai services specified they be entirely Chinese-built and designed. “In line with our expectations, the market is gradually shutting down to let the Chinese companies prosper,” he said. “If the market is now closing down, we don’t think it’s a good idea for other countries to open their markets to such a technology because there’s no reciprocity any more.”

&

Alstom rattled by Asia’s train exports

By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent

Last updated: January 1 2009 by The Financial Times

Other countries, suggests Philippe Mellier, chief executive of Paris-based Alstom Transport, should consider blocking Chinese train exports. It is only the latest sign of worsening tension about increasing competitiveness of Asian train manufacturers.

Builders in China, Japan and South Korea tended in the past either to develop technology for purely domestic use or to work with technology imported from one of the three big international manufacturers – the German-based trainmaking operation of Canada’s Bombardier, France’s Alstom or Germany’s Siemens. Now trainmakers in Asia’s three biggest economies benefit from rapidly increasing domestic rail investment, using it as the springboard for an export drive that leaves many in the European heart of the industry uncomfortable. None of these Asian countries has in modern times allowed the import of a wholly foreign-built, foreign-designed train.

The issues are all the more acute because many European governments are investing heavily in their railways, for environmental reasons and to boost battered economies. Europe’s big three builders are unwilling to see orders for trains go to markets where they cannot export products back. China’s position gives particular grounds for concern because of suspicion many of its builders’ designs draw heavily on technology transferred from Europe, North America or Japan. Some appear to be using that technology to compete with those suppliers’ home markets.

It seems likely there will be few further opportunities for outsiders to participate in the investment of at least $180bn in railways under way during China’s 2006-10 five-year plan. Mr Mellier says that, after designs are bought from Hitachi or Kawasaki of Japan – both of whom have supplied technology used in Japanese Shinkansen trains to China – or Bombardier, the technology is “made Chinese”. “They will use them, adapt them, aggregate them to [form] a Chinese technology based on foreign technology being leased by them,” he says. “I sincerely believe that all the many tenders for rolling stock and signalling will be for Chinese companies and the access for non-Chinese companies will be kept to a bare minimum.”

Issues about Japanese and Korean markets are similar to those in China, Mr Mellier reckons. Japan’s manufacturers have their own technology and face no foreign competition in their protected home market. Korea’s market is closed. Hyundai Rotem, the country’s biggest trainmaker, has begun to produce its own high speed train after a technology transfer deal by which it used Alstom’s TGV design for Korea’s 300kph KTX express. “We sold the Koreans a technology for very high speed trains, which is now 20 years old, and they have ‘developed’ their own technology based on our old technology.”

Mr Mellier’s concerns are far from theoretical. Japan’s Hitachi is building its first European order, a series of 225kph trains for high-speed domestic services between London and Kent in the UK, Europe’s most open rail market.

Two China State Railways subsidiaries won an order to supply three 200kph trains to Grand Central, a British company, in 2007, while CSR Nanjing Puzhen was on a shortlist to supply 200 diesel train carriages to the UK announced on December 22. Hyundai Rotem was on the same British shortlist and has supplied trains to the Athens metro. But Mr Mellier insists companies like his have means to manage the conflict between selling trains to emerging Asian markets and risking losing valuable technology – they should not sell their latest technology. “It is very important for Alstom to sell [older] technology when we’re shooting a little bit ahead and we are developing and selling a newer technology that is going to give us a competitive edge,” he says. Koreans have a 300kph domestically produced, single-deck train, but Alstom markets its double deck, 320kph Duplex and 360kph single deck AGV. “Transfer of technology is good,” he says. “But it has to be entered into carefully, so that the selling company isn’t damaged in return.”

[hkskyline]

China to double railway investment in 2009

2008-12-31

BEIJING - Amid a surge in planned infrastructure projects next year aimed at boosting domestic demand, China plans to almost double its investment in railways to about 600 billion yuan (US$87.9 billion).

The money is part of the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package announced by the government earlier this year.

In 2008, China spent 330 billion yuan on railways, according to a national conference on railway construction held here Wednesday.

Part of next year's 600 billion yuan would be used to build a total of 5,148 km of new rails, said Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun at the meeting.

The money will also help put five passenger-dedicated, high-speed lines into operation next year, according to Liu. These rails will link the central city of Wuhan to the southern city of Guangzhou; Zhengzhou in central Henan Province to Xi'an in northwest Shaanxi Province; Ningbo to Wenzhou, both in east China's Zhejiang Province; Wenzhou to Fuzhou in southern Fujian Province; and Fuzhou to Xiamen, also in Fujian.

The ministry also planned to start 70 new projects next year with part of the money. Those projects will need a total investment of 1.5 trillion yuan to be completed, Liu said.

Rail transport strain to be eased

Liu also predicted railway travel would be much easier by 2012. Currently, there are not enough seats for all the people who want to travel, especially during the Spring Festival every year, when millions are on the move.

"There could be a historical change in the country's railway transport by 2012. The bottle-neck restraints both in passenger and cargo transportation could be removed," he said.

Railways inside the country would reach 110,000 km by 2012. About 13,000 km of passenger lines, which allow trains to travel between 200 to 350 km per hour, would be put into use.

"Such coverage of passenger rails should be able to ensure that passenger needs are satisfied," he said

Rail lines across the country added up to 78,000 km at the end of 2007.

The ministry also plans to add more rails to busy routes and to provide separate rails for passenger and cargo transport. This should also help boost transport capacity and efficiency by 2012.

Liu envisioned inter-city rail systems would be put into place by 2012 in populous regions, such as the Shanghai-led Yangtze River Delta, Guangzhou-centered Pearl River Delta and Beijing-led Bohai areas.

Construction on railways began to boom in China after the country initiated a mid- and long-term plan in 2004. Liu said the country revised the plan this year so the distance of rail lines would increase to 120,000 km by 2020, from the original goal of 100,000 km.

The country also raised rail speeds to help with passenger flow. The latest change came in April last year.

About 1.46 billion people traveled by rail this year, up 10.9 percent from last year. Both transport capacity and efficiency had improved after train speeds increased, Liu said.

In addition, 3.3 billion tonnes of cargo had been delivered by rail, up 4.9 percent year on year.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/31/content_7358177.htm
Something similar from the foreign newswires :

China to boost railway spending by 80 percent
31 December 2008

BEIJING (AP) - China will raise its spending on railway construction by 80 percent in 2009 to $87.9 billion as part of a stimulus plan to boost domestic demand, state media said Wednesday.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the figure of 600 billion yuan ($87.9 billion) for railway infrastructure projects was announced at a national railway meeting. The country spent $48.35 billion (330 billion yuan) on railway construction in 2008, it said.

The spending is part of a $586 billion (4 trillion yuan) stimulus package announced by the government in November.

Xinhua did not say how much of the spending was new money and how much was previously budgeted.

It quoted Railway Minister Liu Zhijun as saying 3,200 miles (5,148 kilometers) of new lines would be built in 2009.

Five high-speed passenger lines will also go into operation next year, Liu said. Most of the lines are in southern China.

Liu said 70 projects would be started in 2009 as part of a goal of easing a rail transport strain by 2012.

"There could be a historic change in the country's railway transport by 2012. The bottleneck restraints both in passenger and cargo transportation could be removed," Liu was quoted as saying.

Total railway lines could reach 68,000 miles (110,000 kilometers) in 2012, up from 48,500 miles (78,000 kilometers) at the end of 2007.

Xinhua said about 1.46 billion people traveled by rail in 2008, up 10.9 percent from the previous year. About 3.3 billion tons of cargo was delivered by rail in 2008, up 4.9 percent from 2007, it said.

[clkgtr]

HXD 3B high power locomotive built by Dalian Locomotive Works(Dloco) with 9600 kw is the most powerful single locomotive(C0-C0) in the wolrd (without consideration of the 2B0-B0(2C0-C0) locomotives). This is the highest level locomotive in China. The prototype of this loco is Bombardier's IORE.
It will haul 5500t freight trains with 120km/h . This locomotive will be mainly used on the 250km/h passenger dedicated line(like from Hefei to Wuchang) for fast heavy freight train service.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3159874440_3d58ff1016_o.jpg

[snow is red]

Edit

[snow is red]

China Railway Construction Wins CNY7bn Orders

Thu. January 01, 2009

Chinese railway tycoon China Railway Construction Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 601186; SEHK: 1186) lately received the letter of acceptance from Chengdu-Lichuan Railway Co., Ltd.

The company's three subsidiaries, China Railway 12th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway 11th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., separately bade for the No.1, No.2, and No.5 section of the Chengdu-Lichuan railway civil engineering, and the total bidding price stood at around CNY 7.08 billion.

Established in Beijing on November 5, 2007, China Railway Construction is under the leadership of China Railway Construction Corporation. Remarkably, it has been the nation's biggest railway operator for three consecutive years, in terms of revenue from the engineering construction.

In the first half of 2008, the company entered into new engineering contracts worth CNY 137.616 billion, with a 117% rocket year on year, and the total value accounted for 55% of its plan for the entire 2008.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2104723/

[snow is red]

HXD 3B high power locomotive built by Dalian Locomotive Works(Dloco) with 9600 kw is the most powerful single locomotive(C0-C0) in the wolrd (without consideration of the 2B0-B0(2C0-C0) locomotives). This is the highest level locomotive in China. The prototype of this loco is Bombardier's IORE.
It will haul 5500t freight trains with 120km/h . This locomotive will mainly used on the 250km/h passenger dedicated line(like from Hefei to Wuchang) for fast heavy freight train service.
http://www.chinacnr.com/Lists/article/_uploads/5983_image001.jpg

I think there is something wrong with the picture. 9600 kW is quite a large upgrade considering that the Bombardier's IORE only has 5400 kW output.

[clkgtr]

I think there is something wrong with the picture. 9600 kW is quite a large upgrade considering that the Bombardier's IORE only has 5400 kW output.
Yes it is a great upgrade,hehe
:banana::banana:
What do you think is wrong with the pic?
This pic is from the official CNR website.

[snow is red]

^^ I can't see half of the picture, or maybe you can resize the picture that would help. Thanks.

[snow is red]

China's electrified railways second longest in the world

December 29, 2008

China now has already built 26,000 kilometers of electrified railway trunk lines, making the length ranks second in the world.

Electrified railways account for 32.7% of the total railway lines nationwide, transporting 50% of the overall passenger and cargo volume.

Of the nation's total electrified railway lines, lines built by the China Railway Electrification Bureau (Group) Company make up over 80%.

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6563830.html

[clkgtr]

^^ I can't see half of the picture.

I uploaded it to Flickr,hope you could see the loco this time:cheers::lol:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3159874440_3d58ff1016_o.jpg

[snow is red]

^^ ah yes I can see now, thank you.

[hoosier]

China's electrified railways second longest in the world

December 29, 2008

China now has already built 26,000 kilometers of electrified railway trunk lines, making the length ranks second in the world.

Electrified railways account for 32.7% of the total railway lines nationwide, transporting 50% of the overall passenger and cargo volume.

Of the nation's total electrified railway lines, lines built by the China Railway Electrification Bureau (Group) Company make up over 80%.

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6563830.html

It's a disgrace that China has more electrified railway than the United States.

I am not criticizing CHina, in fact, I am very happy that it is making such a large investment in its rail infrastructure, but rather the U.S. for neglecting its own rail infrastructure for so long.

[Vanaheim]

It's a disgrace that China has more electrified railway than the United States.
Which country is first?? Russia??

[zaphod]

The US has had hardly any electrified rail. We probably have less than small countries like Belgium, though I wouldn't know.

You have the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, Keystone Corridor, and suburban networks in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The only electric freight is on 3 short coal hauling lines directly connected to power plants, that use old Mexican electric locos. There is one in Arizona and two in Texas. We did have at least two electric transcontinental routes, Great Northern, and the Milwaukee Road. But they dismantled the wires in 1971, just in time for the fuel crisis actually, which is why Milwaukee Road went out of business in a matter of months. Great Northern became the "northern" in "Burlington Northern", and then the "N" in "BNSF".

I think it has to do with the fact that unlike other countries where in the 20th century, specifically wartime Europe the government had to nationalize rail transport to keep industry going and needed to find an alternative to oil for fuel; in the US our rail network has for the most part been privately owned and operated and diesel fuel fairly abundant to where electrification simply has never made business sense to them I guess.

[Onn]

It's a disgrace that China has more electrified railway than the United States.

I am not criticizing CHina, in fact, I am very happy that it is making such a large investment in its rail infrastructure, but rather the U.S. for neglecting its own rail infrastructure for so long.

That may change, the US could potentially have more electric rail some day. The US has more buildable space than China does. The US could come out on top one day.

[rafaelkafka]

That may change, the US could potentially have more electric rail some day. The US has more buildable space than China does. The US could come out on top one day.

This disgraceful love for roads are a shame not just for US but for my Brazil too.

[serendip finder]

That may change, the US could potentially have more electric rail some day. The US has more buildable space than China does. The US could come out on top one day.

Yes the US has a lot of land, but much of it is in private hands and it is very difficult or very expensive, short of imposing eminent domain, to use them for a rail line.

Also the US has very strong NIMBYs and other potential opponents of a project.

One advantage of China is that almost all the land is state-owned, so it is easier to transfer land for infrastructure.

[Facial]

Agreed. The US has an addiction to cars, coffee, and NIMBY rights.

That's why we can't ever build as fast as China. But if we take things one step at a time, starting with education, we can tone down our raging car culture.

[antovador]

Yes the US has a lot of land, but much of it is in private hands and it is very difficult or very expensive, short of imposing eminent domain, to use them for a rail line.

Also the US has very strong NIMBYs and other potential opponents of a project.

One advantage of China is that almost all the land is state-owned, so it is easier to transfer land for infrastructure.

Agreed. The US has an addiction to cars, coffee, and NIMBY rights.

That's why we can't ever build as fast as China. But if we take things one step at a time, starting with education, we can tone down our raging car culture.

not only railways
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0643137120090106

[antovador]

is there a map of the transtibetan railway ? please

[big-dog]

^^
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/5133/qinghaitibetrailwaybefbdn2.jpg

in details
http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/5028/00123f3c34470605d8c740fqm5.jpg

[FazilLanka]

I would love to travel this part of the world by train

[xXFallenXx]

^ I was thinking the same thing. It would be awesome. :)

[snow is red]

Railway expansion plan unveiled

2009-01-01

Train transportation will be tremendously improved by 2012, since construction of an expanded railway system accelerated in the second half of 2008, the railway minister said yesterday.

It was the first time the ministry announced a deadline for the expansion plan.

"Surely, 2012 is going to be a year of historical change," Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun told an annual working conference in Beijing.

"The advanced railway network taking shape will remove the bottlenecks in railway transport."

In 2008, 80 railway construction projects were launched, including 10 started in the last week of the year. Currently, 2 trillion yuan ($293 billion) worth of rail construction projects that will span 30,000 km when completed are under way, Liu said.

More projects to lay an additional 20,000 km of tracks will start this year and in 2010, he added.

China is expected to have 110,000 km of tracks, including 13,000 km for passenger trains traveling at more than 250 km per hour, within four years. It would also have 800 modern railway stations, Liu said.

The central government has supported railway construction as part of its comprehensive push to boost domestic demand as the economy slows.

National Development and Reform Commission vice-minister Zhao Mao told the conference the current construction is taking place at unprecedented speed.

"More projects that can yield quick returns with relatively low investment, like railways linking Shanxi province with seaports, should be implemented next year," he said.

Liu also said his administration will adjust plans to open more passenger train routes among major cities this year.

The economic slowdown has reduced demand for, and prices of, oil, grain, cotton and chemical fertilizers in recent months.

Nearly 10 million tons of unwanted coal is now heaped in railway companies' freight yards. When the economy was more robust, these materials accounted for 95 percent of China's annual rail cargo transport volume, he said.

"We need to increase passenger transport volumes to compensate for the loss," he said.

Busy routes from Beijing to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Harbin, as well as those between Shanghai and Kunming, and between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, will all get more trains.

China's railway network currently stretches 79,000 km.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-01/01/content_7359078.htm

[zaphod]

will there ever be a line from Tibet to Nepal and India?

That would really cool.

[city_thing]

^^ I think the only road link between China and India was re-opened last year (it was closed in the past for some reason - I think because of a fall out between the two nations regarding the Dalai Lama and the treatment of Tibet).

The two countries re-opened the road for economic cooperation. The road was already in a terrible mountainous area so I doubt there will be any rail connection for a long time.

But you never know, nothing seems impossible when it comes to rail expansion in China.

[SimFox]

yeah.. fall out... you may say that . I mean WAR is a definite fall out...

[UD2]

All trains stop at Wuqing, some trains stop at more places though. Wuqing is a town of 50,000, and the other stops on the route have populations of around 20-100,000; at least one train stops at a low-demand HSR stop per day.

Same thing for Shanghai-Beijing, but the cities along the stops are bigger...it stops at Tianjin West and some other stops, in addition to the stops already mentioned.

Incorret, both trains to and from Tianjin that I took one week ago did not stop anywhere. But I did notice a station on route though..


But Simfox, you need to learn how train service works.

[JoKo65]

Which country is first?? Russia??

Russia

22.000 km 25 kV AC
18.800 km 3 kV DC

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossijskije_Schelesnyje_Dorogi

So Russia should be the number one.

[BarbaricManchurian]

^^ I think the only road link between China and India was re-opened last year (it was closed in the past for some reason - I think because of a fall out between the two nations regarding the Dalai Lama and the treatment of Tibet).

The two countries re-opened the road for economic cooperation. The road was already in a terrible mountainous area so I doubt there will be any rail connection for a long time.

But you never know, nothing seems impossible when it comes to rail expansion in China.

Actually it was reopened just recently because they had to repair the road which hasn't been used since WWII, part of it goes through Burma as well (or maybe you are talking about another road).

[BarbaricManchurian]

Incorret, both trains to and from Tianjin that I took one week ago did not stop anywhere. But I did notice a station on route though..


But Simfox, you need to learn how train service works.

OK, probably they adjusted the schedule, because every train when I was there in August had a stop in Wuqing; maybe they are spreading it around now so the other stops get more trains (I think the other stations weren't completed when the line opened). Of course, you're the expert, you probably know more about this than I do, I only take the trains and report my observations, while you check the info :cheers:.