High-speed rail on track for opening
June 26, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE first test train stopped smoothly beside the platform at the new Shanghai Hongqiao Station of the Huning (Shanghai--Nanjing) Intercity Railway on Monday in a successful trial.
The new rail line is due to formally open on July 1 -- the same day as the grand opening of Hongqiao Station on the Huning Intercity Railway.
Huning Intercity Railway is the result of a grand plan between Shanghai and Nanjing of Jiangsu Province to establish a high-speed railway which connects the regional transportation of both sides.
Construction work began in July 2008 and was completed this May. The main line is about 300 kilometers long, with 32 kilometers of track in Shanghai and 268 kilometers in Jiangsu Province. Along the main railway line there are up to 31 stations, depending on future plans, 133 bridges of various designs which occupy just over half the entire length, and five tunnels totaling 2.74 kilometers long.
After the line opens, Shanghai and Nanjing will become closer to each other, and the circle of Yangtze River Delta seems smaller.
As one of the key projects of Shanghai, Hongqiao Station is both the terminal and the starting point of Huning Intercity Railway.
It's an important part of the Hongqiao Traffic Hub, together with the No. 2 Terminal of Hongqiao International Airport, Metro stations and ground transportation.
With the trains' speed of up to 350 kilometers per hour, it will take passengers about one hour to travel from Shanghai to Nanjing.
The test run of the railway began on May 1. After nearly two months' testing, the track and trains have successfully passed all checks.
Ticketing and fares
Judged from the equipment which has already been installed in Hongqiao Station, automatic ticket machines will be widely used, and the ticket will also be in the form of a magnetic card, just like Metro tickets.
In the future, taking trains will be as convenient as taking subway lines with no need to book tickets in advance. However, in the early months of operation, traditional methods of selling tickets will still be used.
According to international practice, fares on high-speed railways are often much higher than ordinary trains. But the Chinese government has kept its citizens in mind when setting ticket prices for the line, which were announced this week. Ordinary fares will cost 146 yuan (US$21.47), nearly 50 percent more than the current bullet-train fares of 93 yuan.
Because the concept of "buying time with money" is not so popular among Chinese people, many passengers will still prefer ordinary trains. So if the price is set too high, it will obviously limit the number of passengers, while if the price is too low, the pressure of cost will be a big problem for the railway administration.
The new rail line is due to formally open on July 1 -- the same day as the grand opening of Hongqiao Station on the Huning Intercity Railway.
Huning Intercity Railway is the result of a grand plan between Shanghai and Nanjing of Jiangsu Province to establish a high-speed railway which connects the regional transportation of both sides.
Construction work began in July 2008 and was completed this May. The main line is about 300 kilometers long, with 32 kilometers of track in Shanghai and 268 kilometers in Jiangsu Province. Along the main railway line there are up to 31 stations, depending on future plans, 133 bridges of various designs which occupy just over half the entire length, and five tunnels totaling 2.74 kilometers long.
After the line opens, Shanghai and Nanjing will become closer to each other, and the circle of Yangtze River Delta seems smaller.
As one of the key projects of Shanghai, Hongqiao Station is both the terminal and the starting point of Huning Intercity Railway.
It's an important part of the Hongqiao Traffic Hub, together with the No. 2 Terminal of Hongqiao International Airport, Metro stations and ground transportation.
With the trains' speed of up to 350 kilometers per hour, it will take passengers about one hour to travel from Shanghai to Nanjing.
The test run of the railway began on May 1. After nearly two months' testing, the track and trains have successfully passed all checks.
Ticketing and fares
Judged from the equipment which has already been installed in Hongqiao Station, automatic ticket machines will be widely used, and the ticket will also be in the form of a magnetic card, just like Metro tickets.
In the future, taking trains will be as convenient as taking subway lines with no need to book tickets in advance. However, in the early months of operation, traditional methods of selling tickets will still be used.
According to international practice, fares on high-speed railways are often much higher than ordinary trains. But the Chinese government has kept its citizens in mind when setting ticket prices for the line, which were announced this week. Ordinary fares will cost 146 yuan (US$21.47), nearly 50 percent more than the current bullet-train fares of 93 yuan.
Because the concept of "buying time with money" is not so popular among Chinese people, many passengers will still prefer ordinary trains. So if the price is set too high, it will obviously limit the number of passengers, while if the price is too low, the pressure of cost will be a big problem for the railway administration.
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