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Now that high-speed trains are crisscrossing the country, enormous costs and other shortcomings have been exposed
Nearly 300 spacious train stations replete with marble and amenities have opened across China in recent years to complement a fleet of white "Harmony" bullet trains that whisk passengers between cities at jaw-dropping speeds.
Indeed, the nation's modern network of high-speed rail lines, grand stations and sleek trains has forever changed the world's impression of China's once-backward railroads.
More track for high-speed railways was laid in China over the past decade than all new rail installed in western countries combined over the past half-century. What's more, China's railway companies now export technology and heavy manufacturing capacity to other countries.
All this fast-track growth has cheered supporters of high-speed rail in China, who call the bullet trains more comfortable and a lot faster than the rusting coaches that typically crisscross the country. They also claim heavy investment for the network will eventually pay off through economic expansion in areas newly served by fast trains.
Opponents of the ongoing project, however, say high-speed trains serve only the rich. They call the build-up wrong for China's strategic positioning, citing serious market, debt and financial risks. They also point to technical dangers and safety issues that run against the grain of China's push for "scientific development."
A subdued debate over the pros and cons of high-speed expansion bubbled beneath the surface of Beijing policymaking for years even while the railway revolution roared forward. Nothing slowed the nationwide initiative led by the central government's Ministry of Railways and its then-chief, Liu Zhijun, also known as China's Father of High-speed Rail.
Yet suddenly, following an announcement by authorities in February, allegations of financial corruption and all-too-cozy relations with railroad construction contractors blacklisted Liu and led to his demise. He's been detained by Communist Party investigators, removed from office and replaced. Some of his associates are in trouble as well.
A source close to the ministry said inspectors started carefully combing through the railway system's investment records shortly after Liu's dismissal. The ongoing investigation may shed light on the scope of the alleged financial malfeasance.
Meanwhile, the Liu case has raised questions about the quality, safety and sensibleness of high-speed railroads, bullet trains and related equipment. Separate concerns swirl around the future of traditional train lines, many of which offer slow but inexpensive travel, some of which have already been forced out by high-speed lines.
Neglected Travelers
Two months after its February 2010 opening, the high-speed Beijing-Fuzhou quietly closed for a lack of passengers. Reports said not a single seat was booked during the 10 days before the decision to scrap the 2,058-kilometer line.
Tickets were offered for up to 584 yuan for a seat and up to 1,185 yuan per sleeper, as opposed to 1,610 yuan for a typical plane ticket. A trip on a traditional slow train between these cities is four hours longer, but considerably less expensive.
A World Bank report last year on high-speed rail and economic development found fast trains can successfully compete with airliners for journeys under 750 kilometers, especially when an airport is far from a city center. Rail can grab 80 percent of the traveling market for distances up to 500 kilometers, the report said. But planes are more popular for longer trips.
Civil Aviation Administration Director Li Jiaxiang told Caixin that high-speed trains can compete against airliners when cities are less than 500 kilometers apart, but never when the distance is 2,000 kilometers.
Zhao also noted that speed is not always a top criteria for travelers. Rather, a key concern is whether the time saved is of greater value than the higher cost.
Traditional intercity rail travel is estimated to cost between 0.1 and 0.15 yuan per kilometer per person in China. High-speed rail, though, usually costs between 0.45 yuan and 0.6 yuan.
This cost gap fueled debates this year during the traditional Spring Festival traveling period in February, when vast numbers of people return to their home towns for family celebrations. Critics of high-speed rail accused the Ministry of Railways of heavy spending on fast trains but ignoring the needs of common people who travel by rail for the annual festivities.
Zhao noted that high-speed passenger lines have replaced slow, inexpensive trains, forcing passengers to pay higher ticket prices. He warned that the disappointment among rail travelers "could even cause social instability."
Before the Wuhan-Guangzhou fast train started running in December 2009, many routes between Guangzhou and the cities of Wuchang and Hankou, including direct trains, were quietly shut down.
A former Wuhan Railway Bureau worker told Caixin the lines were closed "to support high-speed rail." Bureau officials had feared informing travelers of the change, so instead of directly announcing the closings, would-be passengers were told at ticket windows that the seats were sold out.
Similarly, high-speed rail lines between Beijing and Tianjin, Shanghai and Ningbo, and Shanghai and Hangzhou replaced at least some slower trains – even those running at 250 kph.
Ironically, laborers for these high-speed rail projects have included the common people most likely to ride slow trains. To meet tight deadlines, railroad contractors often employ subcontractors, who then recruit local farmers living along a construction route for some of the grunt work.
These farmers may lack railroad construction training, which one high-speed project supplier said can contribute to quality problems. Moreover, he said, overextended projects and short timetables challenge suppliers to meet demand.
Tunnel excavations in China proceed at about 10 meters per day, said one foreign expert, about three times the tunneling pace common in other countries.
Project chiefs often expect contractors to finish ahead of time, so suppliers are expected to deliver materials much sooner than planned. "And when that happens, it's hard to produce problem-free products," the supplier said.
Why did Liu and the rest of the ministry apparently put high-speed rail projects ahead of costs, passengers and safety concerns?
"Rail currently has a favorable, opportune moment for low-cost development," Liu once wrote. "With rapid economic and social development, resource shortages will become increasingly prominent, and land acquisition and relocation costs, material prices and labor costs will grow higher.
"This is an irreversible trend. So the earlier we carry out large-scale railway construction and the faster we push it forward, the lower our costs will be," he said. "Seize the opportunity, build more railways, and build them fast."
All Aboard China's Fast Trains to Trouble -
Nearly 300 spacious train stations replete with marble and amenities have opened across China in recent years to complement a fleet of white "Harmony" bullet trains that whisk passengers between cities at jaw-dropping speeds.
Indeed, the nation's modern network of high-speed rail lines, grand stations and sleek trains has forever changed the world's impression of China's once-backward railroads.
More track for high-speed railways was laid in China over the past decade than all new rail installed in western countries combined over the past half-century. What's more, China's railway companies now export technology and heavy manufacturing capacity to other countries.
All this fast-track growth has cheered supporters of high-speed rail in China, who call the bullet trains more comfortable and a lot faster than the rusting coaches that typically crisscross the country. They also claim heavy investment for the network will eventually pay off through economic expansion in areas newly served by fast trains.
Opponents of the ongoing project, however, say high-speed trains serve only the rich. They call the build-up wrong for China's strategic positioning, citing serious market, debt and financial risks. They also point to technical dangers and safety issues that run against the grain of China's push for "scientific development."
A subdued debate over the pros and cons of high-speed expansion bubbled beneath the surface of Beijing policymaking for years even while the railway revolution roared forward. Nothing slowed the nationwide initiative led by the central government's Ministry of Railways and its then-chief, Liu Zhijun, also known as China's Father of High-speed Rail.
Yet suddenly, following an announcement by authorities in February, allegations of financial corruption and all-too-cozy relations with railroad construction contractors blacklisted Liu and led to his demise. He's been detained by Communist Party investigators, removed from office and replaced. Some of his associates are in trouble as well.
A source close to the ministry said inspectors started carefully combing through the railway system's investment records shortly after Liu's dismissal. The ongoing investigation may shed light on the scope of the alleged financial malfeasance.
Meanwhile, the Liu case has raised questions about the quality, safety and sensibleness of high-speed railroads, bullet trains and related equipment. Separate concerns swirl around the future of traditional train lines, many of which offer slow but inexpensive travel, some of which have already been forced out by high-speed lines.
Neglected Travelers
Two months after its February 2010 opening, the high-speed Beijing-Fuzhou quietly closed for a lack of passengers. Reports said not a single seat was booked during the 10 days before the decision to scrap the 2,058-kilometer line.
Tickets were offered for up to 584 yuan for a seat and up to 1,185 yuan per sleeper, as opposed to 1,610 yuan for a typical plane ticket. A trip on a traditional slow train between these cities is four hours longer, but considerably less expensive.
A World Bank report last year on high-speed rail and economic development found fast trains can successfully compete with airliners for journeys under 750 kilometers, especially when an airport is far from a city center. Rail can grab 80 percent of the traveling market for distances up to 500 kilometers, the report said. But planes are more popular for longer trips.
Civil Aviation Administration Director Li Jiaxiang told Caixin that high-speed trains can compete against airliners when cities are less than 500 kilometers apart, but never when the distance is 2,000 kilometers.
Zhao also noted that speed is not always a top criteria for travelers. Rather, a key concern is whether the time saved is of greater value than the higher cost.
Traditional intercity rail travel is estimated to cost between 0.1 and 0.15 yuan per kilometer per person in China. High-speed rail, though, usually costs between 0.45 yuan and 0.6 yuan.
This cost gap fueled debates this year during the traditional Spring Festival traveling period in February, when vast numbers of people return to their home towns for family celebrations. Critics of high-speed rail accused the Ministry of Railways of heavy spending on fast trains but ignoring the needs of common people who travel by rail for the annual festivities.
Zhao noted that high-speed passenger lines have replaced slow, inexpensive trains, forcing passengers to pay higher ticket prices. He warned that the disappointment among rail travelers "could even cause social instability."
Before the Wuhan-Guangzhou fast train started running in December 2009, many routes between Guangzhou and the cities of Wuchang and Hankou, including direct trains, were quietly shut down.
A former Wuhan Railway Bureau worker told Caixin the lines were closed "to support high-speed rail." Bureau officials had feared informing travelers of the change, so instead of directly announcing the closings, would-be passengers were told at ticket windows that the seats were sold out.
Similarly, high-speed rail lines between Beijing and Tianjin, Shanghai and Ningbo, and Shanghai and Hangzhou replaced at least some slower trains – even those running at 250 kph.
Ironically, laborers for these high-speed rail projects have included the common people most likely to ride slow trains. To meet tight deadlines, railroad contractors often employ subcontractors, who then recruit local farmers living along a construction route for some of the grunt work.
These farmers may lack railroad construction training, which one high-speed project supplier said can contribute to quality problems. Moreover, he said, overextended projects and short timetables challenge suppliers to meet demand.
Tunnel excavations in China proceed at about 10 meters per day, said one foreign expert, about three times the tunneling pace common in other countries.
Project chiefs often expect contractors to finish ahead of time, so suppliers are expected to deliver materials much sooner than planned. "And when that happens, it's hard to produce problem-free products," the supplier said.
Why did Liu and the rest of the ministry apparently put high-speed rail projects ahead of costs, passengers and safety concerns?
"Rail currently has a favorable, opportune moment for low-cost development," Liu once wrote. "With rapid economic and social development, resource shortages will become increasingly prominent, and land acquisition and relocation costs, material prices and labor costs will grow higher.
"This is an irreversible trend. So the earlier we carry out large-scale railway construction and the faster we push it forward, the lower our costs will be," he said. "Seize the opportunity, build more railways, and build them fast."
All Aboard China's Fast Trains to Trouble -