Thursday, April 19, 2007

China introduces new fast trains


China introduced a new fast train service to keep up with the increasing demand for transportation. The new trains travel at a speed of 125mph, so a trip of 53 miles from Shanghai to Suzhou only takes 39 minutes. China has been steadily improving it's railway system for its 1.3 billion people. Rail travel in the country is priced very economically. The new trains will go up to speeds of 155mph on certain routes, making the trip between the country's two largest cities, Shanghai and Beijing in just nine hours.
China is upgrading tracks for faster speeds, and expanding its rail network. Last year saw the opening of a 710-mile line to Tibet's capital, crossing mountain passes at more than 16,400 feet. Xinhua quoted Vice Railways Minister Hu Yadong as saying the speed increase would raise passenger capacity by more than 18 percent and freight capacity by more than 12 percent.

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