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In China, high-speed rail has become the preferred mode of transportation for people during holidays, and "traveling China by high-speed rail" has become a unique scenery. On August 1, 2008, the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, designed for a speed of 350 km/h, was officially opened, marking a new milestone in China's high-speed rail development. As of December 30, 2021, China's high-speed rail operating mileage exceeded 40,000 kilometers, ranking first in the world. The "four vertical and four horizontal" high-speed rail network was completed ahead of schedule, making China the only country with a fully operational high-speed rail network globally. Today, China boasts the most comprehensive high-speed rail system technology, the strongest integration capabilities, the longest operating mileage, and the highest operating speeds in the world.
From the difficult manufacturing of China's first "Longhao" steam locomotive in the late Qing Dynasty to the "Fuxing" high-speed train with full independent intellectual property rights today; from the first railway surveyed, designed, and constructed by Zhan Tianyou, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, to the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which can be called a "high-speed rail technology museum" today, China's high-speed rail has transitioned from a "follower" to a "leader" and is now confidently "going global," casting China's "high-speed rail confidence" through continuous innovation and transcendence. China's high-speed rail is undoubtedly a model of self-reliance at a higher level.
What Are the Advantages of China's High-speed Rail?
In June 2011, the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway opened for operation, becoming the high-speed railway with the highest technical standards in the world at that time. In December 2012, the Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Railway, the world's first high-speed railway for cold climates, opened for operation. In December 2014, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway was fully opened, passing through strong winds, deserts, and plateaus, achieving multiple world-firsts. In September 2017, the "Fuxing" standard EMU achieved a commercial operating speed of 350 km/h on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, setting a world record for high-speed rail. In July 2020, China independently designed and built the world's first road and railway cable-stayed bridge with a span of over 1,000 meters, achieving five "world firsts." On December 30, 2021, the Anqing-Jiujiang section of the Beijing-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway opened for operation.
In just over a decade, China's high-speed rail has not only become a leader in world high-speed railways but has also forged a path of "introducing, absorbing, digesting, and reinnovating." High-performance railway equipment technologies, represented by high-speed trains and high-power locomotives, not only have independent intellectual property rights but also reach or lead the world's advanced levels.
What Are the Advantages of China's High-speed Rail?
The first advantage is excellent safety performance. Many people ask why there are no seat belts on high-speed trains like in cars and airplanes. This is because the braking force of high-speed trains is designed to be relatively small, with a maximum braking deceleration of only 1.4 meters per second, equivalent to about 1/7 the level of emergency braking in cars. Under this braking force, the sensation on the seat is not too strong, and even standing passengers will not fall, so there is no need for seat belts.
The second advantage is energy conservation and environmental protection. High-speed trains are powered by electricity, with no carbon dioxide or pollutant emissions along the route, although electricity generation produces carbon dioxide. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions per capita, high-speed trains are equivalent to 6% of airplanes and 11% of roads. Another advantage is land conservation. One important measure is the use of bridges instead of roads. The bridge ratio of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway exceeds 80%, with a total length of 1,000 kilometers, saving over 72% of land compared to the old Beijing-Shanghai line.
The third advantage is high transport capacity. The designed transport capacity of a high-speed rail line can range from tens of millions to over 100 million passengers, which is difficult to match by other modes of transportation.
The fourth advantage is all-weather operation with minimal climate impact. High-speed trains can operate normally in heavy fog or even smog and can run under light rain, snow, and wind conditions.
The fifth advantage is comfort, mainly reflected in the riding and waiting environments. Waiting environments have special designs for factors such as space, temperature, and humidity in stations. Riding environments have been studied for over ten factors affecting passengers, including temperature, humidity, lighting, and smoothness. Since 2008, the railway system has implemented standardized management for construction projects, aiming to build world-class high-speed rail through six controls: quality, safety, duration, environmental protection, investment, and team stability. To ensure passenger comfort, long-term monitoring indicators have been set, including train smoothness, electromagnetic environment, braking deceleration, and centrifugal force indicators during curve negotiation. These indicators have been well implemented to ensure comfort.
The sixth advantage is efficiency and speed. This is not only reflected in the high operating speeds of trains but also in the proximity of high-speed rail stations to city centers, high punctuality rates, and convenient station access. The current punctuality rate of high-speed trains is very high, with a departure punctuality rate of 99.1% and an arrival punctuality rate of 98%, providing a convenient and economical transportation mode for Chinese citizens.
