Slowing Down and Falling Behind

China is predicted to be the top country in a few years in terms of technology and business. They have been making strides and moving up in status very quickly. Although no one is just going to sit by and watch as they do this. The U.S. is trying to create their own high-speed rail to add to another form of transportation. Obama wants to spend an estimated 75 billion on transportation starting in the fall with a large proportion of that money going towards a high-speed train. The U.S has been a top country for a while in many aspects and they do not want to let China get ahead. The advancements China is making are motivating others to keep going forward. The competition is good for the economy and developments in societies.

            If China continues with the issues they have been having regarding their high-speed rails then they are going to risk being passed in this area by others. They had to make these changes for safety reasons but it will come at a cost. Someone out there is going to be able to make a high-speed rail similar to China’s but it’s going to be able to function safely with less risk to the customers. No one would get on a plane if they heard that its been having issues and that planes of that make and model have been crashing. It’s going to be the same in China because no one will risk their lives just to get somewhere a little bit quicker.

            So the first thing that china needs to do is put to rest the issues with the trains they’ve been having and let their customers know that everything is safe. Make sure you make it clear to them what went wrong and admit the mistake but move forward. Show them the corrections that have taken place in order to correct these issues. If people see that you have made a strong effort to correct an error that you’ve made it’s going to go a long ways.

            The next thing that China needs to correct in regards to the high-speed rail is the price of the tickets. The average ticket goes for around $63. This is a lot of money for a lot of people over in China. They have been coming up in status as a country very quickly but they still have a very large portion of the population that lives in poverty. It seems like sometimes their government is not always considerate of all the people from all the different social classes in their country. Making separate seating with separate prices would benefit a lot of people. The second-class seating does not have to be anything special and there can definitely still be high quality first-class seating, but just giving the opportunity for some of these people to take these trains would be a nice thing to do. If you’re going to be a country that has a lot of power and is higher status than most you do not want to be one that ignores a majority of its population. Giving opportunities to more people is part of being a great and powerful nation.

            With such a big product and something that no one has ever seen before there is going to be a lot of criticism from everyone who uses it or even just hears about it. They have not done the best job of living up to hype of the product with so many problems. They do not want to let the huge product end up being a dud and I don’t think that will happen. They can take some of these ideas and move forward and not backwards. Continuing to expand their product and make it have even more destinations across the country would help expand the popularity and use. The more people see how good the product is and like it the more they will use it. You want to be a dominant country so you have to do everything you can to keep yourself at the top. The more you expand and further your products the more you leave other people in the dust.

By: Brendan Lemp

Chances of exporting the high-speed rail technology look tiny

Government officials flaunted the high-speed rail program as the crowning glory of the country’s technological and economic superiority. Even United States President Barack Obama looked at Chinese rail system as a model for America’s own rail upgrade. All of this changed after the crash and other glitches that were found in the rail system. The Chinese government had a lot of plans for the future of their high-speed rail. They planned on expanding it all over China and also export the technology to other countries. It all seemed coming along well until the crash at Whanzou that also crashed all the dreams and hopes of Chinese government.

Chinese rail suppliers, who helped build the world’s largest bullet train network in less than a decade, now struggle to sell equipment overseas after two locomotives collided killing at least 39 people.

The train makers include CSR Corp.’ China CNR Corp.’ China Railway construction Corp. and some parts made by Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric Co. They challenged European and Japanese suppliers overseas, touting experienced gained from construction of the nation’s domestic network. The fatal crash undermined their sales pitches as well as their confidence of exporting and competing overseas.

Countries who were planning on importing China’s rail system now are being a little more hesitant. They want to know for sure that the rail system is safe. They are giving much more importance to safety now. Ryota Himeno, an analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley securities Co. said, “ There’s probably little chance of China winning high-speed train order in the U.S”. CSR had many overseas orders including one from Malaysia according to its annual report. CSR dropped approximately 8.9 percent after the collision while China CNR fell 4.1 percent, China Rail Construction builder of more than half of the nation’s rail links since 1949 tumbled 5 percent. Looking at all this it looks hard for CSR to keep their overseas orders.

Although after the collision China has been working very hard to come clean and keep its name good in high-speed rail industry. They fired high officials who were blamed for being involved in corruption. They also slowed down their speed of building the rail system keeping in mind the safety issues. They are trying hard to work their way to the top again so theirs hopes for the high-speed rail won’t be crashed with the collision.

Edwin Merner president of Atlantis Investment Research Corp. in Tokyo said “their chances of selling high-speed trains are zero”. As harsh it may sound and no matter how disappointing it is to he Chinese this is the truth. No one in the world would want trains from a country that couldn’t even handle their own rail system. Not only the crash but many other small and large glitches have been encountered in the rail system. Corruption played a big part in the downfall of the rail system.  If this system would have been implemented the same way but just with a little more care and honesty keeping in mind its bright future above selfish motives it would have in true sense been the pride of China.

Importing Success or Failure?

Introduction

Even though China has the second largest economy and the largest population in the world, they still have to import materials and knowledge to build their high speed railroad. Of all its industries and structural improvements, the Chinese government spends and invests the most money into the high speed railroad. Without the correct resources, technology, or knowledge, the Chinese must import materials from countries such as Canada, Germany, Sweden, France, and Japan to help them build the high speed railroad. 

Importing

Since the Chinese have never built a high speed railroad or have any previous knowledge about how to build one from the ground up, they contract with foreign suppliers to help them build their high speed railroad. The main items that they import are signaling system parts, track and supports, and control systems. China does in fact manufacture some of their own domestic supplies that are used for the high speed railroad, but the designs of these items were bought or stolen from other countries with (not as fast) high speed rail ways. With a current budget of $110 billion and plans to continually infuse money into the high speed rail, there are not many monetary restrictions for attaining materials and supplies for the high speed railway. 

Technology Transfer

Not only does China import materials, they also “technology transfer”. Technology  transferring means that a company will make a deal to give the design of their product or knowledge of their product for a price to be paid by the Chinese government. For example, Mitusbishi sold the design of their MT205 traction motor and ATM9 transformer to the Chinese government to be used in the building and development of their high speed rail. 

Technology transfer can build great relationships between multiple companies or foreign governments, it is a great way to share resources and knowledge. However, there are also many unfortunate disadvantages to technology transfer. 

Technology transfer opens up many doors for trade and partnerships across foreign countries. Trust is a very important factor that is involved with technology transfer. A company or government must trust the company they are receiving the designs or ideas from that they are not faulty or incorrect. The trust leads to lasting partnerships. In China, where Chinese businesses are strict with the companies that they do business with, it is very important to establish trusting relationships to further foreign trade, business, and potential investing opportunities. 

Unethical behavior comes with the territory of technology transfer. Hiding details, giving wrong information, or not being completely honest are risks that companies or governments must face when agreeing to technology transfer. The Chinese government claims that this is what caused the Wenzhou crash that killed 40 people and injured over 200 people. 

Crash at Wenzhou

The expansion and building of the Chinese high speed railway is so fast, that many foreign companies do not trust the model designed by the Chinese. They fear that the high speed railway was built too quickly, with not enough thought. Hitachi, a Japanese technology company that imports and technology transfers safety signal control products to the Chinese government for the high speed railway is one of the companies that feels this way. They sold their signal control technology to the Chinese but did not make it easy to use or understand. They were fearful that other companies would steal their technology to use for their own products. During testing, it was difficult to run and specifications were incorrect. This should have been a red flag to the Chinese government to change, but their expansion was so fast, they did not take the time to potentially save lives. 

The Chinese government claims that it was the failure of the safety signals that caused the crash at Wenzhou, in essence, blaming technology transfer. Whether or not this was the reason that caused the Wenzhou crash, it goes to show that putting people’s lives in danger out of fear of competition is no way to gain partnerships or more contracts. 

Conclusion

The Chinese high speed railway could not be the success it is today in transporting people quickly and efficiently if it were not for importing and technology transfer. However, like any major expansion, the Chinese government and companies involved should be aware of the pros and cons associated with using foreign products, technology, and intelligence. 

By: Brenna Bourie

Lots of Glitches

The high speed rail that China has developed and is now using in their country is going to revolutionize travel there and ultimately in the future all over the world. Although they are putting lives at risk just to be the first to get it out there.

Last year there was a crash between two trains on the tracks that led to 40 people being killed. The officials said that it was because of a lightening strike that caused a technical malfunction. Upon further investigation they found out almost 170 glitches in the trains with about 100 of them coming from how they were manufactured. This caused over 50 trains to be recalled.

This is going to surely lead to some skepticism for the future on whether or not China’s plans are really ethical. There will be questions of whether or not they want to do this to help their country grow or if they just want to be the first ones to do something with no thoughts about the actual quality.

Just about a month ago, after fixing the areas on the track that were supposedly causing some of the problems and were going to open in May have just collapsed. Clearly hoping that it would all just go away after they made some quick fixes it has once again backfired in China’s face with another major error. If I were in China and even debating whether or not to ride and the massive crash hadn’t convinced me this sure would. The safety is just not there and they clearly don’t care enough to fix that. They are continuing to dig themselves a hole and killing their reputation. It’s a nice idea to create a train that goes as fast as it does but going that fast is extremely unsafe and no doubt that kind of speed and force on tracks will overtime wear it out. You need to create an extremely stable base and continue to do lots of maintenance.

China was accused of stealing the model of their trains from companies like Kawasaki and Siemens AG. They had once been partners and had given their trains to China. China took the technology from those trains and learned how to make them and they can make them much cheaper. They made their own trains, which looked very similar to Kawasaki, and Siemens AG’s trains with only a few cosmetic changes. China denied these accusations saying that they were different and were faster.

Clearly they did not take enough time to learn how to properly make these trains and everything that went into their design. They also must have used too cheap of materials which could have been one of their big flaws.

This was very frowned upon by a lot of people when they saw that China did this. You do not become partners with someone and then steal their ideas that they came up with and call it your own. This all just seems like too much with stealing ideas, creating the same product but with obvious flaws, a devastating crash, and then more flaws in the tracks. This is not the way to build a good reputation and a solid foundation for a strong flourishing country on the rise.

The Minister of the Railway Liu Zhijun reported took over 150 million in brides for the project. This is definitely the perfect evidence to explain all the problems about the rail. Zhijun was probably bribed to get the train up and running faster than it should have been and there would’ve needed to be some shortcuts taken in order for that to be done. The shortcuts would lead to some safety hazards that eventually come back to bite Zhijun.

Putting it all together it makes sense why all the problems with the trains have come about but in the end it was not worth the rush. It cost people their lives and if Zhijun is still running the show there would be likely more to come sadly. Someone needs to take over that position and shut the whole project down for a while and take the time to create the safety measures that need to be taken and then it will work.

By: Brendan Lemp

Are They Speeding Up or Slowing Down? – The Future of the Chinese Rail System

 

By: Brendan Simonson

     The Chinese high speed rail system is one of the most vast and quickly expanding projects the country has taken on, and they have taken it on full force holding nothing back. With major cities within the Chinese boarders being hundreds of miles apart it is essential to the Chinese economy that a relation can be held between these cities and they are easy to get to one another. The high speed rail system in China has certainly done so.

     However, can this quick moving expansion and investment in the high speed rail system be kept up or will it be left behind? What exactly does the future hold for China’s high speed rail system?

      It is quite simple actually. China has no excuse or reason to stop this expansion.

     China will continue developing its high speed rail network in the face of rising public demand for travelling efficiency and for future economic development. China simply must keep the expansion and construction going on their country’s already thriving achievements in the field. Economic growth can be directly rooted in the continued expansion of high speed rail ways for China.

      China has implemented a few plans that is steering their blueprint for railway expansion and continued development which include some of the following:

·         Placing speed limitations on bullet trains for safety purposes following a fatal crash in east China that killed 40 people last July

·         The implementing of ATO, or Automatic Train Operation

·         To continue the progress already achieved at such a quick pace and provide consumers with a safe and enjoyable experience

      With China being one of the fastest growing economies to date the expansion and continued development of the high speed rail system is crucial to economic opportunity and improvement. This ambitious rail building and expansion is helping to integrate the economy of a sprawling and populous nation.

      Every situation no matter what has its pros and its cons. The Chinese high speed rail system is no different. There are numerous benefits that come out of it and that will continue to come out of it as the future of the Chinese rail system looks bright and promising. Yet like everything else there are negative draw backs and the Chinese high speed train system certainly has some issues and is looking like it will have some issues in the future of this growing industry.

      One of these lurking cons hanging over the Chinese high speed rail system is that the Minister or Railways, who is in charge of overseeing the whole industry and operations, recently asked the central government for an $800 billion Yuan ($126 billion dollar) bailout plan. Some compare this situation to that of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were the two US financial institutions in need of government bailout and assistance. This comparison simply reminds us of the severity of the Minister of Railways debt crisis he is facing going into the future. However, the US financial institutions focus on finance while the government led railway construction belongs to the real economy of China.

 Exporting Near Perfection

      This is exactly what the Chinese government and Minister or Railways see as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, contribution the railway will lend to China in the coming future. China believes the pace they set should be continued because as they continue to develop and enhance their products in the railway and high speed train industry the goal is to export their technology and materials to other countries interested in installing high speed rails within their own boarders.   

      By continuing what the Chinese people have almost perfected, the future of Chinese high speed rails lies in exporting their product. With exporting their product, the Chinese government and Minister of Railways led project can be a way to pay off the deficit they have surmounted from installing and putting in full affect the use of high speed rails in China.

      While no one exactly know what lies ahead in the future, this certainly holds true for the high speed rail system in China. Some predict it will slow and cause various other problems for the Chinese government, yet they are the precise individuals who see the benefits vast and see the payoffs right within their reach in the very near future.  

Simulator Perfection

 

The Future is Always be Pushed, Even by a Computer      

 

Is This the Future? Why Stop - It Only Slows you Down.

 

    

Trains, Planes or Automobiles: How do you want to Travel?

As we all know China is the most populated country in the world with busy cities and bustling streets. The land is widespread and citizens need to get from city to city for intentions such as getting to work, seeing family, sight seeing, meeting a business partner, or the delivery of a service or product. Transportation is vital in a country with these characteristics, so the competition for the best mode of transportation creates much rivalry between China’s major inland transporters:  the airline, high-speed rail transit (HSR), and roadway industries.

Airlines and Roads Compete with HSR

The rail system industry faces fierce competition from other modes of transportation. First is the air transportation in China. China airlines have been fighting the war against rail travel since the first day it was instigated. Airline companies are doing everything they can to increase sales. They are opening more flights so citizens can get more places. In addition, airlines have really focused on reducing prices. Does this stand up to the high-speed rail transit though?

The road sectors have also improved over the past years. The Republic of China has intensified its construction and efficiency for road travel. Highways have been groomed and better road designs have been engineered. Imagine driving on bumpy roads with thousands of cars beeping and trying to get off exits to Shanghai or Beijing. That sounds miserable and exactly what China’s citizens have been dealing with, but now it’s seeing gradual development in improved driving conditions.

Railway Expertise

Despite all the preceding information, rail travel in China is travelling on the fast path to success. There are many positive features to jumping on a train and heading to your destination. Yes, the airline and road methods of travel sound appealing and their advancements are attractive, but they don’t match the newly designed rail system. The high-speed rail is not only apparently fast, but there are several other beneficial factors luring customers in.

Captivating Elements

Time Reduction- The greatest advantage of train travel compared to flying is the saved time. To take a flight you have to arrive hours prior to departure, especially in China. There is a long wait to deplane, going through baggage checks, and more. Instead of being jostled and examined through the check-in process, passengers silently and quickly enter the pressurized doors. You can check in on the train within 20 minutes of departure, with no hassle from security or other angry, impatient employees. Also, weather does not play as much as a factor. Snow or rain can greatly delay or cancel travel plans when driving in a car or flying on a plane. 

Price Difference- Train travel is much less expensive than flying and more cost-efficient for both passengers and freight. A plane ticket and other costs that follow with airline travel exceed railway costs. Also when you account for the gas that can be spent by taking a car, that can become just as costly. Speaking of freight costs, rail transits help many companies increase business success by reducing expenses. This will also help clear up highways from large carriers and other transporters of goods.

Energy Saver- Train travel is greener. While millions of cars and planes pollute the world everyday, trains have become electric. Gases and other pollutants are not involved with the trains and help preserve our environment.

More Luxury- Carriages are wide, with far more legroom and headroom compared to airplanes, and most cars. The seats are wide and comfortable, and can also recline, with a folding table between seats. There is an adequate amount of luggage room, and also area to walk around. There is also Wi-Fi for mobile phones and laptops, and power supplies for plug-ins for those who want to take advantage of their time and get some work done. The trains are quiet compared to a plane engine. Food and drink carts come regularly, and are easy to roll down the aisles. The train brings comfort and reliability.

Success of the High-Speed Rail Transit

Many rail transit routes have bridged important cities like Zhengzhou and Xi’an, cutting off airline flights. The rail system has just made so many accomplishments. Travelers prefer a two-hour train ride that cost $57 to a 40-minute flight that cost $73, not including all the extra comfort and ease that accompanies riding on a train. And certainly it is much preferable to the prospect of several hundred million cars on the nation's highways.

Many other countries want this system badly, particularly the United States. Obama says China is making great strides in this industry. They are creating jobs from railway construction, while we are falling behind. Sooner or later, American citizens are going to be complaining that travel from cities like New York to Baltimore, Los Angeles to Denver, Florida to Dallas, or Detroit to Pittsburgh are way too slow and unpleasant. China’s high-speed rail system has excelled any other rail system in the world, and the countries listening to this news are becoming envious.  If given the option, which mode of transportation would you choose: trains, planes or automobiles? I'd say a train...

By: Eric Hickman

Father or Foe of China high-speed rail

Liu Zhijun China’s railways minister 2003-2011

Mr. Lui known as the father of high-speed railway, due to his remarkable contribution in railway in China has been removed from his post and is now under investigation. Something to think about is how the father of high-speed railway became the foe of people of China.

Mr. Lui succeeded then minister of railway Fu Zhihuan in March 2003.  He had a vision of upgrading the railway system of China to a level no one could match. He aimed to develop China’s railway by large jumps instead of small increments. In small span of time he wanted to give railway in China a whole new dimension. The speed with which the high-speed rail construction took place has overshadowed all such projects in the Unites States. Back in September 2009 the ministry of railway of China announced that the government had planned 42 lines by 2012, with 5,000 miles of track for passenger and fast freight trains that travel at 215 miles per hour. Beside this they also announced 3,000 miles of track for passengers and fast freight train traveling 155 miles per hour. The ministry of railway of China announced such a huge project to be finished in 3-4 years, which would take double the time in the United States. It is common sense to know that if a project this huge would take such little time there would be some glitches.

Ren Xianfeng, a senior analyst interviewing for the Telegraph said that China has been building too quickly. She also said that investment has increased 10 times which is simply unsustainable. She added that with this high-speed construction, there are a couple of issues. First is the quality of the project; the second thing is corruption.

Little did the people of China now that the glitch they were suspecting would cost them lives of 40 of their fellow people.  On 23^rd July there was a collision of high-speed train in Wenzhou, knocking carriages from 60 foot and killing 40 people and injuring 210. Details about the crash can be read in our previous blog. The high-speed rail that was supposed to be the gleaming testament to the country’s progress is now symbol of much that’s wrong with high- speed development. The huge step towards progress is now being questioned for the safety of Chinese.

Beside the collision during the construction many people faced problems. Specially the ones living to close to the new building rails. People had to evacuate their houses just to make way for the tracks. Many people in this process lost their homes, which they could afford after working very hard for years.  This shows that the progress valued more than the people living in China. People are questioning the government how they could give permission for these tracks to be built over residential areas. All of this clearly shows the huge role of corruption that has been played while building these rails.

After the collision Mr. Lui was removed from the post in the ministry after being accused of corruption. Mr. Lui has been put under investigation, being the most senior Chinese official to ever come under such an investigation in years. There have been no details given on exact infringements. Along with Mr. Lui his brother has also been suspended death sentence by court for hiring people to kill a man who had revealed that he is a corrupt official.

All this shows that the roaring development of Chinese high-speed rail came with a lot of problems. China’s corrupt government officials were just thinking about the development and personal benefits rather than the safety of the people who would use these trains. Mr. Lui who was called the father of high-speed rail proved to be nothing but a foe to the Chinese. Not worrying about who will suffer the consequences and keeping his personal motives before the well being of its nation. Many officials have been charged for corruption, which still doesn’t make an end to the problems in Chinese government. This was just a heads up for China to be more careful in the future,  and to slow down its hasty development which comes with more problems than benefits. 

Need for Speed?

Background of Chinese High-Speed Train System

China has developed the fastest running rail system in the world to transport people around the extensive territory of their country. The high-speed train system refers to China's trains that average a speed of 200km/h (124 mph) or higher. It consists of thousands of miles in railway that carries millions of Chinese citizens to their destinations, in faster than ever times. 

I never imagined train systems reaching speeds this high! It could take me an hour or less to arrive in New York City from my home in Maryland if this system were placed in the United States. I wonder if other countries will adopt this transportation system? In a world where people are more and more impatient to get to places faster, and time is money, this emerging technology sounds promising; but does this feat also carry some risks and complications?

Issues With High-Speed Trains

The rail system in China reaches maximum speeds of 380km/h (240 mph), but there has been concern regarding the safety of this extreme speed. Also, China has been building tracks and faster trains at an alarming rate. Their new railway system has rapidly grown without signs of slowing down. This sounds positive, but there has been a back and forth debate between customers and the Ministry of Railways on how fast the trains should run. 

Higher speeds involve wear and tear on the track and machinery causing deficiencies, while also raising energy usage. Furthermore, faster trains are more expensive. The Ministry of Railways has lowered the speed in some areas so it could attract more riders, because the faster the train travels, the higher the price for tickets. Many of these train lines have also lowered prices in order to lure customers. Railway profits were decreasing because customers were opting to return to the more traditional mode of high-speed travel, the airplane. Though it is the case, I never thought railways would be snatching airline revenues for long distance travels. 

Unlike plane travel, staring out the window in the high-speed train must be marvelous, getting to see how fast you are moving in comparison to inert objects. I can picture homes and trees flashing by instantly. However, it would be a little frightening moving this fast on a rail-system especially around turns. It seems inevitable that the rail-system will experience mechanical problems with trains going around 200 mph. 

Safety Matters

If defects or accidents occur during one of these train rides, you can probably imagine the outcome. These trains do not even contain safety belts, so that's one issue right there. The country of China has witnessed some minor defects, but none like the breath-taking collision on July 23, 2011 in the Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Several carriages derailed killing 40 passengers, hospitalizing 192, and seriously injuring 12. This accident killed Chinese citizens as well as foreigners. 

Here is an exceptional clip, capturing the collision on July 23, 2011

The accident at Wenzhou caused a public uproar and made many question the safety of China's high-speed rail system. This was undoubtedly a sad and embarrassing day for the nation of China. One of their most prized accomplishments failed, making national news, and damaging the reputation of their newly designed transportation system. As a result, there was a severe drop in confidence and sales for the rail system, causing the Ministry of Railways to further drop prices and speed for the ride.

Who to Blame?

Some say the accident was just coincidental and that something like this rarely ever happens. Believers in the high-speed rail system say it is a fairly new system that was likely to experience some sort of accident from which the Chinese technologists could learn. However, I have a different view.

Everyone knows China is drastically amplifying their economic growth. They are just building and building, sometimes for no apparent reason. For example, the Chinese have built ghost towns because no one will buy their vast amount of apartment buildings. Don't get me wrong, the creation of infrastructures is a good thing, but I think China should slow down. I think the lack of time and strategy in their building process had an effect on this collision and other unsuccessful constructions throughout China. The Chinese should have tested their railway tracks more sufficiently and repeatedly, rather than just quickly implementing new technology. The high-speed rail system is a new emerging system in China helping many people travel quicker, but there is no need to rush it.

While there is a demand to get to places faster, there is no need to speed through the development and implementation of such a high-speed mode of transportation. Taking safety precautions and understanding repercussions are extremely important before architecting and applying things to the world. This high-speed rail system will one day be seen in many other countries, but should not be employed until all dangers are completely minimized.

By: Eric Hickman

Speed Up!

Sustaining life in the largest country in the world requires speed, efficiency, and up-to-date technology. Imagine if China had none of these things. Would it be able to continue to produce record amounts of exports and handle over a million people? Definitely not. 

As the largest country in Asia, China has a wide amount of territory to be covered. Traveling efficiently is important in such a large country as China. No one wants to spend days traveling just to get to another part of their country. 


Getting Around China

Over the past decade, movement in and around the country has been made much easier thanks to China’s high-speed train. As the fastest train in the world, the Chinese are able to travel quicker on land than any other population in the world.

In modern times, traveling by train has always been a popular and convenient way to get from one place to the next. Especially in China, where there is a large amount of ground to travel, taking the train makes sense economically and comfort-wise. However, the railroad system was steadily losing business to air travel. Airlines were not giving profits to the Chinese local and national government so they figured they needed a way to stop losing money and regain profits from their citizens traveling.

China’s train wasn’t always the fastest in the world. The most popular train that traveled through China was fast, similar to the Amtrak or MARC train. But this wasn’t fast enough. With increasing technology resources and innovations, the Chinese wanted to make their train even faster and even more efficient. 

How Did They Do It?


Every plan of action has to start somewhere. China’s first step in building the fastest train in the world was to initiate the “Speed Up” campaign. This was not your typical campaign full of propaganda, but rather a plan of ways to improve the railroad system to make it even faster and more efficient. “Speed Up” began in 1997 and lasted 10 years until 2007. The “Speed Up” campaign had six steps to achieve its goal.

1. Double tracking - Double tracking means to build two tracks, one running in either direction to avoid delays based on trains needing to go in different directions.
2. Electrification - The most expensive step, electrification is a way to power the train cars using electricity. Electric power allows the trains to accelerate faster and carry less weight. 
3. Decreasing slope - By building bridges and tunnels, the Chinese were able to decrease the slope of which trains had to climb, causing the trains to slow down. 
4. Reducing curve angles - Similar to the third step, the curvature of turns in the train track system were made less to increase speed. 
5. Continuous welding of the train tracks - All the train tracks were welded together so that trains are able to move more smoothly and continuously along the tracks.
6. Separating cargo train and passenger train tracks - Having a clear separation of tracks that are solely for cargo trains and passenger trains reduces delays caused by the different speeds of the different types of trains. 

A World Forever Changed


“Speed Up” significantly changed the Chinese high-speed rail system. Over the course of ten years and with the help of the six steps, the trains increased from 30mph to 100mph. Clearly this was a huge change. I mean can you imagine the time saved for travelers and commuters? Train riders saved time and were able travel farther in less time. “Speed Up” helped to generate more revenue for the Chinese government just because of six steps. Even though it took ten years, the time it took to implement these steps was well worth it. 

The “Speed Up” campaign forever changed transportation. It helped to jump start the innovation and creation of the fastest train in the world. Who knows where the Chinese railway would be right now if it hadn’t been for the “Speed Up” campaign. This is one of the least known but most successful campaigns in the world of technology. The Chinese responded enthusiastically to this campaign and look what it produced! The “Speed Up” campaign led to so many more inventions and ideas that have been put into production and are still being produced at this time. 

“Speed Up” not only sped up the Chinese railway system but also the transportation and technology industry!