Page 80 - 360.revista de alta velocidad Nº1

360.revista de alta velocidad
360.

Ministry puts brake on nation´s fast trains
China Daily, 14 April 2011

BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhuanet) — with an operational speed of 350 network will stretch to 120,000
China’s high-speed railways will km/h or more. km by the end of 2015, up from
run at a slower speed than The landmark Beijing-Shanghai the current 91,000 km, he said.
previously expected, according high-speed railway was built to But he stressed that priority will
to the newly appointed railways run trains at 380 km/h that could be given to ongoing projects to
minister. In an interview with compete with airlines. But Sheng make sure they have enough
People’s Daily published on did not say whether the line will funds for construction to be
Wednesday, Sheng Guangzu, who still run that fast when it opens completed, and emphasis will be
took on the role on Feb 25 in June. given to projects that are in
replacing former railways minister urgent demand because of
Liu Zhijun, said high-speed trains Zhao Jian, a transport professor economic development.
will run at 300 kilometers per at Beijing Jiaotong University, Zhao said the arrangement could
hour starting from July 1, instead told China Daily that the speeds mean some projects might be
of the previously announced 350 should have been slower right cut or postponed.
km/h. from the start. “Because, at “In addition to cutting some
The change to the country’s high- 300 km/h or less, the high-speed projects, the ministry should also
speed rail network was made rail network can operate in a adjust some ongoing projects as
after Liu stepped down when he more economically efficient and well,” he said, adding that the
became the subject of an safer way,” he said. The energy planned 350-km/h railway
investigation for an alleged consumption of trains at 350 between Xi’an and Urumqi should
“severe violation of discipline” km/h could be twice that of be built to operate at 200 km/h.
on February 12. trains at 200 km/h”. The ministry also plans to ask
Sheng said in the interview that For passengers, a lowered speed passengers to provide their real
only the four east-west and four could mean a cut in ticket prices names when buying bullet train
north-south artery lines of the in the future. tickets starting June 1. — From
high-speed rail network will carry Wang Yongping, spokesman for the end of June, the Beijing-
trains at 300 km/h. the ministry, said on Wednesday Shanghai high-speed railway will
The inter-city lines that usually that the lowering of the be the first line in China to start
connect major centers within operational speed will “provide selling tickets online. Online sales
regions should be operated at a bigger price-float range”, will be extended to other lines
between 200 and 250 km/h, while without elaborating. at the end of this year.
most railways in central and Ha Yanmei, who commutes
western China will operate at between Beijing and Tianjin every
less than 200 km/h. weekend, said the ticket price
To placate passengers who for high-speed trains should drop
complain they are forced to ride along with the speed.
on high-speed trains and pay “Otherwise, I will feel I am
more because the ministry cheated by the ministry,” she
canceled slower trains, he said said.
there will be other options. For As for concerns about whether
example, the 300-km/h lines will railway construction will also
also operate bullet trains at slow down, Sheng said such work
between 200 and 250 km/h. between 2011 and 2015 will be
The new policy is a change from rolled out fast across the country,
the one publicized during Liu’s with an investment of 2.8 trillion
time. yuan ($428 billion) allocated for
it.
Previously, China was expecting
to build a high-speed rail network As planned, the country’s railway

80 360.revista de alta velocidad/ número 1 • noviembre 2011