CHINA | High Speed Rail

[big-dog]

Bullet train stewardesses put on new uniforms

Updated: 2012-04-05 06:39

(Xinhua)

Stewardesses dressed in new uniforms wait for passengers to board a bullet train, which is bound for Nanjing, in East China's Shanghai municipality, April 4, 2012, the last day of the national public holiday around the Qingming Festival. According to the Shanghai Railway Bureau which manages the railways in East China's Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang, stewardesses serving the region's high-speed trains will put on new, more casual uniforms during weekends and public holidays starting from April of 2012, as an alternative to the original non-holiday uniforms. [Photo/Xinhua]



Stewardesses dressed in new uniforms pose for photos next to a bullet train, which is bound for Nanjing, in East China's Shanghai municipality, April 4, 2012, the last day of the national public holiday around the Qingming Festival. [Photo/Xinhua]

[chornedsnorkack]

Do the stewards also get new uniforms, keep their old uniforms or not exist at all?

[big-dog]

gmp win first prize and commission for Hangzhou South Railway Station, China

Following their success in winning first prize in an international competition, the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have been commissioned to design the new southern railway station in Hangzhou. The project involves the conversion and extension of the station in the Xiao Shan district to the south of the Qiantang river; after the eastern and main railway stations it will be the third largest railway station of this metropolis.

The design reflects the local culture, with the station building picking up elements of traditional buildings in Hangzhou: the base plinth consists of grey granite, the main building’s white walls enclose the waiting room level which is framed by perforated vertical slats – a reference to the traditional Chinese window shutters.

Passengers enter the station through foyers to the east and west. The 200 meter long and 18 meter high wait- ing hall - with its free-spanning construction without columns and plentiful daylight - offers passengers easy orientation. It creates a light-flooded space and provides a unique experience for passengers upon their arrival and departure. There are escalators and lifts for passengers and visitors to descend to the total of seven platforms.

The Hangzhou South Railway Station is not the only railway station project by gmp Architects. In addition to the main railway station in Berlin, which is the largest interchange station in Europe, they have built the Tianjin West Railway Station which, following its completion in 2011, serves as a stop along the high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai.

Competition 2011 – 1st prize
Design Meinhard von Gerkan and Stephan Schütz with Stephan Rewolle Design team members Jiang Linlin, Zhang Yingying, Zhang Xiaoguang Client Ministry of Railways
Gross floor area 90,000 m2
Number of platforms 7
Number of tracks 21
Number of passengers/year from 2020 4.5 million
Construction period 2012-2014

archinect.com

[hmmwv]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

Do the stewards also get new uniforms, keep their old uniforms or not exist at all?

This line in the news answers your question:
"stewardesses serving the region's high-speed trains will put on new, more casual uniforms during weekends and public holidays starting from April of 2012, as an alternative to the original non-holiday uniforms."

[chornedsnorkack]

Originally Posted by hmmwv

This line in the news answers your question:
"stewardesses serving the region's high-speed trains will put on new, more casual uniforms during weekends and public holidays starting from April of 2012, as an alternative to the original non-holiday uniforms."

No, it does not. The news speaks about stewardesses only, and does not mention stewards.

Thus inspiring my question:

Do stewards not exist in the first place, keep their old uniforms, or also get new uniforms?

[Pansori]

Who cares about stewards.

[hmmwv]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

No, it does not. The news speaks about stewardesses only, and does not mention stewards.

Thus inspiring my question:

Do stewards not exist in the first place, keep their old uniforms, or also get new uniforms?

Ha, I see, you were asking about the guys, I don't think I've seen any as a matter of fact, everyone from the janitor to the conductor have been girls. The MOR has figured out that disgruntled passengers are less likely to confront pretty girls.

[Silly_Walks]

Originally Posted by hmmwv

The MOR has figured out that disgruntled passengers are less likely to confront pretty girls.

Another reason to suspect the MOR of being complete geniuses

[Geography]

Despite the rendering, this does not look like a pedestrian friendly train station. Look at the long distances pedestrians have to walk. Where are they walking from, a parking lot or bus stop 200 meters away? Why not have buses drop people off right at the entrance? Who is going to be walking around a vast cement plaza far from the center of town?

[chornedsnorkack]

Originally Posted by Geography

Despite the rendering, this does not look like a pedestrian friendly train station. Look at the long distances pedestrians have to walk. Where are they walking from, a parking lot or bus stop 200 meters away? Why not have buses drop people off right at the entrance?

From the plan, there are 2 "bus stations" around the station, on both sides on the corner just behind the trees on the right edge of the picture, and also one "coach station". What is the difference?

Also, which trolleybus lines of Hangzhou shall serve Hangzhou South railway station?

[zergcerebrates]

Ah, awesome. China is still moving ahead with its major highspeed rail developments.

[hmmwv]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

From the plan, there are 2 "bus stations" around the station, on both sides on the corner just behind the trees on the right edge of the picture, and also one "coach station". What is the difference?

Also, which trolleybus lines of Hangzhou shall serve Hangzhou South railway station?

Coach station means long distance buses.

[chornedsnorkack]

Now, trying to figure out the rails of Hangzhou.

4 high speed railways and at least 3 low speed railways, right? Plus metro.

Existing Shanghai-Hangzhou High Speed Railway:
from Yuhang South Station branches. One branch goes to Hangzhou East, the other to Hangzhou Station.

Nanjing-Hangzhou High Speed Railway, under construction, shall open in a known month late in 2012:
approaching Hangzhou, passes Deqi and Yuhang Stations, and terminates in Hangzhou East Station.

Hangzhou-Ningbo High Speed Railway, under construction, shall open in a known month late in 2012:
starting Hangzhou East, passes Hangzhou South and next station is Shaoxingkeqiao

Hangzhou-Changsha High Speed Railway - is it under construction, or delayed?
"starting" Hangzhou East, follows Hangzhou-Ningbo High Speed Railway to Hangzhou South;
from Hangzhou South, branches out and next station is Zhuji

Shanghai-Hangzhou Low Speed Railway:
passing Hangzhou East shared with 3 high speed railways goes to Hangzhou station shared with 1 branch of high speed railway

Hangzhou-Zhuzhou Low Speed Railway:
from Hangzhou Station goes to Hangzhou South shared with 3 high speed railways, and there meets "Xiaoyong Railway". Reaches Zhuji Station shared with Hangzhou-Changsha High Speed Railway.

What is "Xiaoyong Railway"?

Now regarding metro:
which lines shall exist in Hangzhou, and which railway stations shall they serve?

Does anyone have a map to illustrate the lines and stations?

[hmmwv]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

Hangzhou-Changsha High Speed Railway - is it under construction, or delayed?
"starting" Hangzhou East, follows Hangzhou-Ningbo High Speed Railway to Hangzhou South;
from Hangzhou South, branches out and next station is Zhuji

What is "Xiaoyong Railway"?

Hangzhou-Changsha PDL is still under construction, latest news in late March indicated viaduct girders are being installed at the Jinhua, Zhejiang section. The whole 920km line is on schedule to be opened in 2014.

Xiaoyong Railway is the conventional railway between Hangzhou (Xiaoshan) and Ningbo South.

[chornedsnorkack]

Shanghai-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Ningbo and Hangzhou-Changsha high speed railways are all parallel to existing low speed railways.

Is it correct that there is no low speed railway between Hangzhou and Nanjing?

Until this autumn, Hangzhou has a single high speed railway (from Shanghai) and no metro. By the end of the Dragon Year, though, Hangzhou is due to have 3 high speed railways and metro. So what shall the network be like?

Hangzhou South railway station is now the branching point of Hangzhou-Zhuzhou and Hangzhou-Ningbo low speed railways, and shall be on Hangzhou-Ningbo high speed railway from late 2012. However, the construction of the station shall continue till 2014. Shall it be arranged without hindering traffic?

[skyridgeline]

Originally Posted by hmmwv

Ha, I see, you were asking about the guys, I don't think I've seen any as a matter of fact, everyone from the janitor to the conductor have been girls. The MOR has figured out that disgruntled passengers are less likely to confront pretty girls.

Dalian's tram has one of the exceptional feature that all staffs are female, i.e. – driver, conductor, points man — even the depot manager!

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Dalian

[hmmwv]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

Is it correct that there is no low speed railway between Hangzhou and Nanjing?

That's right, there is no direct conventional railway between Nanjing and Hangzhou. In the past all express passenger traffic go through Shanghai, and freight traffic go through Xuancheng, Anhui.

[Woonsocket54]

Originally Posted by Geography

Despite the rendering, this does not look like a pedestrian friendly train station. Look at the long distances pedestrians have to walk. Where are they walking from, a parking lot or bus stop 200 meters away? Why not have buses drop people off right at the entrance? Who is going to be walking around a vast cement plaza far from the center of town?

It's a pedestrian-hostile country. Everything is geared toward bikes. The poor design of this station is not surprising.

[Pansori]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

It's a pedestrian-hostile country. Everything is geared toward bikes. The poor design of this station is not surprising.

Are you kidding or what?
The fact that China is not trying to implement the obsolete 19th century planning ideology in its cities doesn't mean it's 'pedestrian hostile'. On the contrary: I have never seen so much space dedicated to pedestrians as I saw in Chinese cities (same, by the way, applies to Singapore). It actually is pleasant to walk there unlike in such cities like London where you feel like a sardine in a tin squeezed inbetween the buildings and street with no green or recreational spaces. Sorry but that's not the kind of planning that any sane planners in any country should pursue.

I wouldn't even starg on American urban planning here...

[Silly_Walks]

Originally Posted by Woonsocket54

Everything is geared toward bikes.

The Netherlands, perhaps. But China? I rode a bike there, and large parts of the country are completely devoid of bikepaths or anything resembling it. Couple that with an increasing love for cars, and riding a bike becomes quite hazardous.