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

DW Brasil

26 Jul 202210:32

Summary

TLDRChina 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.

Outlines

00:00

😊 China's Impressive High-Speed Rail Network

This paragraph provides an overview of China's extensive high-speed rail network. It notes that China has built nearly 40,000 km of high-speed rail lines in a little over a decade, connecting most major cities and accounting for about two-thirds of the world's high-speed trains. Comparisons are made to much smaller networks in Europe and the lack of fast trains in the US.

05:00

😮 Building China's Rail Network at Lightning Speed

This paragraph discusses how China achieved its high-speed rail boom so rapidly. Reasons include lower infrastructure costs than Europe, using domestic producers, ability to quickly relocate residents/projects blocking routes, and not worrying about profitability of lines. Comparison is made to lagging major rail project in Germany.

10:01

🤔 Can Other Countries Match China's Rail Success?

This concluding paragraph considers if other countries can replicate China's high-speed rail success. Challenges in Europe include cheap flights and coordination across borders. China plans to continue expanding its world-leading rail network to 70,000 km by 2035 and is developing 600 km/h maglev trains.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡High-speed rail

A railway system capable of operating at speeds over 200 km/h. The video discusses how China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network in just over a decade, connecting almost all major cities and covering nearly 40,000 km. This rapid expansion highlights China's infrastructure ambitions and economic priorities.

💡Emissions

The production and release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that cause climate change. The video notes that high-speed rails produce fewer emissions than other transport modes like flying, so China's rail expansion aligns with its goal to be carbon neutral by 2060.

💡Economy

The system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in a country. The video explains how China's use of domestic manufacturers to build high-speed rails cheaper than other countries boosts its economy.

💡Relocation

The moving of residents from one place to another. The video points out that China has been quick and uncompromising in relocating people to make way for high-speed rail lines.

💡Environmental impact

The effects infrastructure projects have on surrounding wildlife and ecosystems. Unlike the Stuttgart rail station delayed over relocating endangered lizards in Germany, Chinese projects don't face the same environmental reviews and constraints.

💡Aviation industry

Businesses involved in air travel services. The video explains how problems in China's aviation industry, like flight delays due to military control of airspace, have made high-speed rail more appealing for domestic trips.

💡Carbon footprint

The amount of carbon dioxide released due to a person, organization, event etc. While building high-speed rails initially has high carbon costs, the video says China's rail expansion should reduce the country's carbon footprint in the long run.

💡Maglev trains

Magnetically levitated trains that use electromagnets to lift and propel train cars. Towards the end, the video notes China recently promoted a new 600 km/h maglev train, the world's fastest land vehicle.

💡Coordination

The organization of different elements for efficient results. Unlike China's centralized high-speed rail expansion, the video says the EU struggles to coordinate timetables, fares and rail projects across 27 different countries and rail operators.

💡Competition

Rivalry between entities offering similar services or products. The video recounts how advanced economies competed to launch the first high-speed rail initiatives decades ago, but how China has now surpassed all of them in scale and speed through its aggressive rail expansion.

Highlights

China has built nearly 40,000 km of high-speed rail lines in just over a decade, connecting almost all major cities.

China now accounts for about two-thirds of the world's high-speed train volume, surpassing Japan and the EU.

In contrast, China's rail network changed little over decades and was not in usable condition for high speeds.

A km of high-speed rail costs $17-21 million in China, versus $25-39 million in Europe. Using domestic producers drives the economy.

To build high-speed rail, China has been quick and ruthless in relocating residents. If you don't want to move, they build around you until you do.

In Germany, the Stuttgart station faced endless budget and planning problems, including needing to relocate threatened lizards at a cost of €15 million.

By 2013, China built 10,000 km of high-speed rail - nearly the total amount currently in use across all of Europe.

Many Chinese high-speed rail lines operate at huge losses, but that's a political decision to support the country's carbon neutrality goal.

Flying in China is consistently ranked as the world's worst for on-time performance, due to the military controlling most airspace.

China intends to double its high-speed network to 70,000 km by 2035. It recently promoted a new 600 km/h maglev train - the world's fastest land vehicle.

In Europe, cheap flights make trains less appealing. The EU lacks legal power to regulate and coordinate complex multi-country rail projects.

Traveling Madrid-Rome by high-speed rail takes 4 trains and 49+ hours. Shanghai-Chengdu is similar distance but one 11 hour journey.

Japan pioneered high-speed rail in 1964. China opened its first line in 2008 and now dominates the industry.

Mark Smith has likely taken more Chinese bullet trains than anyone. You can now go 1300 km Beijing-Shanghai in just 4 hours.

Building China's vast high-speed rail network has high carbon costs but reduces the country's long-term emissions footprint.