Service with a smile on fast track to the capital
By Zha Minjie |
June 30, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHISTLING pass fields, rivers, mountains, tunnels and buildings on the new Shanghai-Beijing high-speed train gives one time to sit back and contemplate all the hoopla that has surrounded the launch of China's biggest rail project.
There have been countless stories about speed, safety, airline competition and corruption surrounding the new 220 billion yuan (US$34 billion) high-speed service.
I boarded the train at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, the major hub for bullet trains, on June 16, in one of its many preview runs before today's official opening, with hundreds of other reporters on board the 16-carriage train. The train left exactly on time at 9am.
The seats in the carriages were taken by technicians, rail officials, as well as reporters and camera men, and adequate space was provided for luggage.
The seats were cushioned, spacious and comfortable.
Speed, of course, is the mesmerizing factor of bullet-train travel. One train in test trials reportedly set a world record of 486 kilometers an hour.
Our train reached up to 300 kilometers an hour before slowing to between 280kph and 290kph. Camera clicks greeted the digital speed numbers that flashed on a board in each carriage.
The train speeds have been slowed somewhat from the once touted 350kph after safety concerns were raised.
He Huawu, chief engineer with the Ministry of Railways, has been assuring the public that safety is "guaranteed."
Along with the modern new services, the railways have tried to quell their traditional image of crowded carriages, chaotic masses of people, smelly interiors and surly attendants.
Passengers on bullet-train VIP seats, priced 1,750 yuan one-way, can beep attendants if they want service and are offered free snacks and newspapers.
The most expensive seat also gets you the privilege of watching television, listening to radio and seats that recline to allow you to rest along the way.
In economy class, the only freebie is a bottle of water.
It's service with a smile, though. Train attendants, who were chosen in an application process that only allowed one in 10 candidates through, underwent six months of training. One of the things they learned, according to reports was to smile warmly, but show no more than six teeth.
One attendant, Chen Xi, told me that she once worked as a flight attendant for a domestic airline. Chen said she chose her new job as "it's more stable compared with that on planes" and she could be sure of regular visits home to Suzhou.
One problem along the route was the poor WiFi service and blackouts of mobile phone signals when the train passes through its many tunnels.
The rail operator has promised to try to rectify those problems by the end of this year.
The air-conditioned carriages are perfect for snoozing because the ride is quiet, especially after reporters finishing typing and photographers had taken all their pictures.
For those who can't sleep, the scenery can be a pleasant diversion even though it slips past quickly.
The trip from my front door in Shanghai to the downtown rail station in Beijing took almost six hours.
I would take the train in future as the shorter traveling time is an attraction and I would not have to worry about the delays which happen frequently on flights.
But I would say the tickets are too expensive in a country where there are millions of people on relatively low incomes who need to travel.
In a recent survey of more than 3,300 people in Shanghai, almost 90 percent said the bullet train prices, ranging from 410 yuan to 1,750 yuan, were too high.
The railways ministry has high expectations that the new Shanghai-Beijing line will give a lift to national bullet-train services. The question remains: Will travelers choose the train over airlines?
Many Chinese complain that high-speed rail tickets are comparatively expensive in country where train travel has been the staple transport for people on low incomes, especially for migrants who work in cities but visit their families back home during the holidays.
"It's not about competing for a slice of the cake with airlines," said Sun Zhang, a professor from Shanghai Tongji University who is also a member of a railway authority think tank.
"It's all about how to make a bigger cake."
Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping said the railway expects to make a "slight profit margin" from the high-speed service, but that stage wouldn't be reached immediately.
There have been countless stories about speed, safety, airline competition and corruption surrounding the new 220 billion yuan (US$34 billion) high-speed service.
I boarded the train at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, the major hub for bullet trains, on June 16, in one of its many preview runs before today's official opening, with hundreds of other reporters on board the 16-carriage train. The train left exactly on time at 9am.
The seats in the carriages were taken by technicians, rail officials, as well as reporters and camera men, and adequate space was provided for luggage.
The seats were cushioned, spacious and comfortable.
Speed, of course, is the mesmerizing factor of bullet-train travel. One train in test trials reportedly set a world record of 486 kilometers an hour.
Our train reached up to 300 kilometers an hour before slowing to between 280kph and 290kph. Camera clicks greeted the digital speed numbers that flashed on a board in each carriage.
The train speeds have been slowed somewhat from the once touted 350kph after safety concerns were raised.
He Huawu, chief engineer with the Ministry of Railways, has been assuring the public that safety is "guaranteed."
Along with the modern new services, the railways have tried to quell their traditional image of crowded carriages, chaotic masses of people, smelly interiors and surly attendants.
Passengers on bullet-train VIP seats, priced 1,750 yuan one-way, can beep attendants if they want service and are offered free snacks and newspapers.
The most expensive seat also gets you the privilege of watching television, listening to radio and seats that recline to allow you to rest along the way.
In economy class, the only freebie is a bottle of water.
It's service with a smile, though. Train attendants, who were chosen in an application process that only allowed one in 10 candidates through, underwent six months of training. One of the things they learned, according to reports was to smile warmly, but show no more than six teeth.
One attendant, Chen Xi, told me that she once worked as a flight attendant for a domestic airline. Chen said she chose her new job as "it's more stable compared with that on planes" and she could be sure of regular visits home to Suzhou.
One problem along the route was the poor WiFi service and blackouts of mobile phone signals when the train passes through its many tunnels.
The rail operator has promised to try to rectify those problems by the end of this year.
The air-conditioned carriages are perfect for snoozing because the ride is quiet, especially after reporters finishing typing and photographers had taken all their pictures.
For those who can't sleep, the scenery can be a pleasant diversion even though it slips past quickly.
The trip from my front door in Shanghai to the downtown rail station in Beijing took almost six hours.
I would take the train in future as the shorter traveling time is an attraction and I would not have to worry about the delays which happen frequently on flights.
But I would say the tickets are too expensive in a country where there are millions of people on relatively low incomes who need to travel.
In a recent survey of more than 3,300 people in Shanghai, almost 90 percent said the bullet train prices, ranging from 410 yuan to 1,750 yuan, were too high.
The railways ministry has high expectations that the new Shanghai-Beijing line will give a lift to national bullet-train services. The question remains: Will travelers choose the train over airlines?
Many Chinese complain that high-speed rail tickets are comparatively expensive in country where train travel has been the staple transport for people on low incomes, especially for migrants who work in cities but visit their families back home during the holidays.
"It's not about competing for a slice of the cake with airlines," said Sun Zhang, a professor from Shanghai Tongji University who is also a member of a railway authority think tank.
"It's all about how to make a bigger cake."
Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping said the railway expects to make a "slight profit margin" from the high-speed service, but that stage wouldn't be reached immediately.
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