Em poucos anos, China se torna a terra do trem-bala

Summary

China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network in just over a decade, with almost 40,000 km of track connecting nearly all major cities. This is over 6 times more high-speed rail than the whole of Europe. China's costs per km are lower and construction is faster due to factors like domestic manufacturing and efficient relocation of residents. The expansion aims to reduce China's carbon emissions by shifting from air travel, which is unreliable due to military control of airspace. Europe struggles to coordinate cross-border rail travel between its 27 countries, while China plans to double its network by 2035.

Takeaways

• 😲 China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network in just over a decade - nearly 40,000 km connecting almost all major cities
• 🚄 China now accounts for about two-thirds of the world's high-speed rail traffic, surpassing Japan and the EU
• 💰 Building high-speed rail in China costs $17-21 million per km, vs $25-39 million in Europe, making it more affordable
• ⏩ Top speeds in China reach 350 km/h, with a new maglev train capable of 600 km/h - the fastest ground vehicle in the world
• 👷‍♂️ China has rapidly relocated residents and not worried much about protests to build HSR faster and open lines sooner
• 🌎 HSR expansion aligns with China's carbon neutrality goal, as it reduces air travel and related emissions
• ✈️ Cheap, convenient flights in Europe reduce demand for rail, though the EU hopes to attract travelers back post-pandemic
• 😕 The EU's 27 countries make cross-border coordination of rail systems complex compared to China's centralized planning
• 🐸 A Stuttgart station faced years of delays over relocating threatened lizards at €15 million - very different from China
• 🚆 China plans to double its HSR network again by 2035, reaching 70,000 km total

Q & A

How long is China's high-speed rail network compared to other countries?

China has built nearly 40,000 km of high-speed rail lines in a little over a decade, which is more than the rest of the world combined. The total length in Europe is only around 11,000 km.

What enables China to build high-speed rail more cheaply than other countries?

China can build high-speed rail between $17-21 million per km, compared to $25-39 million per km in Europe. This is due to factors like using domestic suppliers and efficiently relocating residents.

How has China overcome issues like budget overruns and planning delays?

China acts quickly to relocate residents unwilling to move. They build around those resisting relocation to pressure them to move. They don't face issues like Stuttgart's train station in Germany being delayed over relocating endangered lizards.

How far and fast can you travel by high-speed rail in China?

You can go from Beijing to Shanghai (1,300 km) in just 4 hours. And from Beijing to Guangzhou (2,300 km) in 8 hours, instead of 22 hours by regular train.

What are the environmental impacts of China's high-speed rail expansion?

While the construction initially has high carbon emissions, in the long run the trains significantly reduce China's emissions as the top CO2 emitter. This helps their goal to be carbon neutral by 2060.

What are China's plans to further expand their high-speed rail network?

China plans to double their current network to 70,000 km by 2035. They also recently launched a 600 km/h maglev train, the fastest ground vehicle in the world.

Why is it difficult for the European Union to match China's high-speed rail expansion?

The EU faces coordination issues across 27 different countries and rail operators. For example, traveling from Madrid to Rome requires 4 separate train bookings taking over 49 hours.

How do flight options in China and Europe compare regarding high-speed rail adoption?

Cheap flights in Europe reduce motivation for long train trips. In China, airline punctuality is dismal due to military control of airspace, making high-speed rail more appealing.

When did high-speed rail first emerge around the world?

Japan pioneered high-speed rail in 1964 with the 210 km/h Shinkansen train. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Russia followed in the subsequent decades before China's recent explosion.

Who are some key experts on China's high-speed rail network?

Mark Smith, known as the Man in Seat 61, is one of the most popular bloggers about train travel especially in China. Researcher David Feng likely has logged more miles than anyone on China's network.