Reporters tour China's new high-speed train

by julianw | July 22, 2008 at 08:51 am

3333 views | 19 Recommendations | 39 comments

On Tuesday, the Chinese government gave reporters a chance to test-ride the new Beijing-Tianjin high-speed train before its official opening next Friday. One Reuters correspondent was impressed, noting that the train had swivel seats, spacious interiors, rooftop solar panels, and a record-breaking top speed of 350 kmph (220 mph).

The railway will open next Friday, in time for next month's Beijing Olympics, and will shuttle people to soccer events in Tianjin, one of the Games' co-host cities. It will chop one hour off the current rail journey, reducing it to a 30-minute hop, taking passengers at a top speed of 350 kmph (220 mph) on special sleek trains with interiors that look more like aircraft cabins. Reporters were given a sneak preview of the ultra-modern trains on a government-organised trip on Tuesday, zipping through the lush countryside past massive housing developments and deserted highways. "This is a revolution in terms of ramping up the speed of Chinese railways," Railway Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping told reporters at the cavernous new Beijing South railway station, which he said was the largest in Asia.

Zhan Shuguang, head of China's Railway Ministry's Transport Bureau, had this to say.

"Its operational speed is the fastest in the world. It's very comfortable and quiet," Zhang said. "There's a French train that has gone 500 kmph in tests, but only in tests."

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Zlender

at 09:11 on July 22nd, 2008

Wow this is insane 350km/h. What technology is this using?

Uwe Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:20 on July 22nd, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Who build the train? China, Japan, France or Germany? I only knew of France, Japan and Germany building high speed trains and exporting them! The Shinkansen and Siemens as well as the TGV have all the capability to exceed the 450Km/H, the problem is that this cannot be maintained unless there is nothing around them on either side for a 100 meters or so! Should they cross another train coming on the next rail the train at such speed would be pushed out of its rails! To fix the problem is possible yet extremely expensive as well! Tunneling the hole line in separate tunnels both ways!

aracari

at 14:46 on August 14th, 2008

There are 2 types of trains running on China's high-speed track. Both are designed and produced in China.

intrepidberkeleyexplorer

at 16:07 on July 22nd, 2008

This Japanese Shinkansen, known to Americans as a Bullet Train, is a still from my amateur, non-commercial video of feudal and modern Japan. It includes castles, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hiroshima.

I have over free 30 videos from every continent being streamed over the internet.

Anyone interested in this film of Japan, "Castles of the Rising Sun", or my earlier effort on China, "The Last Emperor's Home Video", should ask a search engine for: Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

You need a high speed connection to watch the videos, but my giant galaxy of still pictures can be viewed with any modem.

The Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

intrepidberkeleyexplorer has contributed a photo to this story.

carlossg

at 16:28 on July 22nd, 2008

Magnetic train from Shanghai to Pu Dong airport at 431 km/h
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlossg/1812020788/

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crblanchard

at 16:29 on July 22nd, 2008

It's a cooperative (joint-venture) construction project with Germany.

Driving from Shanghai out to the Pudong Airport takes about 40 minutes depending on traffic. This Maglev train goes 225 MPH and the trip takes only seven and a half minutes! Blinding speed but a smooth ride. It's such an exhilarating experience that local Shangainese people go on weekends just to make the round-trip out to the airport and back. A thrill-ride of sorts.

Silbermanlaw (not verified)

at 17:05 on July 22nd, 2008

It is very smooth... We rode it back and forth just to test it.

sirgious

at 18:35 on July 22nd, 2008

I traveled on the maglev train in Shanghai at 431 km/hr. The climax to my experience was passing a train going the opposite direction at near-top speed.

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jamessta

at 19:42 on July 22nd, 2008

This photo is onboard the MagLev train approaching 430kmh - much faster than the proposed Beijing - Shanghai express.

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andym1

at 19:42 on July 22nd, 2008

This was my first ride on the MagLev train in China. This train took me from my hotel in Shanghai to the international airport: the journey took about 7 minutes.

andym1 has contributed a photo to this story.

Jarrett Martineau

at 20:08 on July 22nd, 2008

Wow. That is crazy crazy crazy fast. I rode a train from Berlin to Hamburg that was going 200 km/h and I thought we were flying...guess not!

Sanjay Jha

at 20:16 on July 22nd, 2008

It must be an exciting experience. Another feat for Chinese, Thanks for posting, Cheers

Shnoffle

at 21:25 on July 22nd, 2008

Maglev = Magnetic Levitation. I heard about it roughly 6 years ago and it's basically a train propelled by magnetism. It technically floats too, so there is no friction on the ground, allowing it to move quickly. The one running from within Shanghai to the coastal area (roughly 20 miles) takes the Maglev 7 minutes to travel across. The top speed is 431 kmph, and it is only at that speed for about 15 seconds. The rest of the time is spent accelerating to that point and then basically drifting to the destination.

There are two Meglevs constantly going between the airport and the city and will cross each other, so the passengers feel an effect similar to two trains crossing each other, except for only 1 second and everything will vibrate around you way more crazily than a train would. Some have tried to take pictures of the Maglev as passes, which is not as easy as you would think. I had cost about 50 yuan to ride it to the airport. Roughly USD$7.50.

This is what I know about the Maglev traveling from Shanghai to the coastal airport. I was on it just last month when I was in China.

mobilhomme

at 21:29 on July 22nd, 2008

Something's off about this story--either the reporter misreports the top speed, or this story is specifically referencing only rail-based trains. The Shanghai Maglev Train has a normal operating speed of up to 430kph, so what's "record-breaking about a top speed of 350kph on the Beijing-Tianjin train?

rez_maaku

at 21:46 on July 22nd, 2008

Just awesome! If you can find some footage of someone that was filming outside, you will go nuts. This thing is like a rocket! Without all the shaking.

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rez_maaku

at 21:47 on July 22nd, 2008

Maybe its because the mag-lev was built by Germans and the one in Beijing is the Chinese first attempt? ...Maybe, not sure about this.

Maireid Sullivan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 21:48 on July 22nd, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.

This is great news!

Such sophisticated designs will make train travel so much more attractive than driving. :)

Uwe Paschen

at 21:48 on July 22nd, 2008

What does surprise me though, is that Canada, the USA and Mexico have not started to invest in those High speed trains with those distances it would really pay of and be a lot more environmental friendly than those Grey Hunt Busses or Cars are!

robsen71

at 22:20 on July 22nd, 2008

sorry, but the MagLev Beijing-Tianjin doesn't break the record with it's 350 km/h. The MagLev in Shanghai, connecting Pudong International Airport with the city at Longyang Station, is running at a top speed of 430km/h. The 35km ride takes less than 8 min.

Why didn't countries like US or Mexico build a MagLev? Well, for the US it's pretty easy to say: oil was too cheap to have an interest in highspeed public transport. The next problem is that the MagLev technique isn't a cheap offer. You need a special rail construction and the amount of energy during operation is also quite big.

James Tung

at 22:33 on July 22nd, 2008

This is the Maglev train between Shanghai international airport and downtown.

wtung01 has contributed a photo to this story.

pottster

at 00:04 on July 23rd, 2008

Waiting to board the Maglev in Shanghi

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alberto.speggiorin

at 00:22 on July 23rd, 2008

Yes, It was amazing! Like being in a plane, but at ground level.
Really confortable but too expensive for the most of chinese people.

alberto.speggiorin has contributed a photo to this story.

p-munky

at 01:26 on July 23rd, 2008

The Shanghai Maglev train arrives at Longyang Road Station.

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Its Unique

at 03:30 on July 23rd, 2008

Like being in an airplane without leaving the ground as we hit 430 km/h!

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mbigenwald

at 06:17 on July 23rd, 2008

Top speed on the Maglev.

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KRayRPh

at 07:18 on July 23rd, 2008

In November of 2006, my husband and I visited Shanghai and rode the "bullet" train from the main station to the Shanghai Airport and back, averaging more than 400km per hour.

KRayRPh has contributed a photo to this story.

jeffreyddahl

at 08:46 on July 23rd, 2008

Shanghai's Maglev Train preparing to leave station.

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FionaSara

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:49 on July 23rd, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.

bfick

at 14:46 on July 23rd, 2008

My trip to Shanghai had been a memorable one; being able to ride the Maglev back to Pudong Airport is what topped the trip off. Being able to be on a monorail reaching speeds of anywhere between 267 and 300 mph was nothing short of amazing, considering that I wasn't on a "track", but riding on magnetic fields instead. I plan on visiting Shanghai many more times in the future, and the Maglev is going to be my main form of transportation in the future back to Pudong Airport.

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