A Glance of China High Speed Train

Yaya+Han　Shuai+Han

【Abstract】China high speed rail has experienced rapid development in the recent decade with the longest operation mileage and largest number of high speed trains （HST） in the world. As the “Golden business card” of Chinas diplomacy， China high speed train becomes the most popular transportation tool. This essay will start with an introduction of high speed rail. Before the conclusion， priority will be given to the social and environmental advantages that HST could bring.

【Key words】High speed rail； High speed train

I. High speed rail at home and abroad

High-speed rail （HSR） is a type of rail transport that operates significantly faster than traditional rail traffic， using an integrated system of specialized rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide， new lines in excess of 250 km/h （160 miles per hour） and existing lines in excess of 200 km/h （120 miles per hour） are widely considered to be high-speed. The high speed rail system combines various elements using highly sophisticated technology. The worlds first HSR in operation was in Japan in 1964.

Chinas first HSR came to service in April， 2007 with a speed of 250 km/h. Ten years since the first HSR line， by May， 2017， 58 HSR lines have been put into service in China with a total mileage of 22， 200 kilometers and 2， 645 sets of HST， both accounting over 50% of the world total. According to Chinas Medium and Long Term Railway Network Plan （as shown in Figure 1）， a HSR network of 4 longitudinal and 4 horizontal arteries is now expanding to 8 longitudinal and 8 horizontal lines， aiming to cover all provinces except for Tibet， Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. It is expected that China will boast 30， 000 km HSR lines and over 3500 sets of HST by 2020.

II. Advantages of HST

HST brings a lot of benefits to both the passengers and the society as follows

a. Excellent riding comfort

Since additional noise and vibration mitigation measures have been taken on HST， passengers are provided with a quieter and more stable riding environment. In addition， ergonomic consideration is reflected in the design of air conditioning system， lighting， seats， luggage racks， handrails and other parts.

b. Punctuality

Different from airplane and automobile， HST is capable to withstand almost all weather conditions， tropical hot， freezing cold， strong wind， heavy sand and dense smog. The average punctuality of China HST is over 90%.endprint

c. Fast speed

Most of China HSTs are operating at 250 km/h to 300 km/h. Of particular note， since Sept. 21， 2017， the latest Fuxing High Speed EMU has started to serve the Beijing-Shanghai Railway Line at a speed of 350 km/h. It has effective save passengers journey time.

d. Freedom

During your trip， you are free to use onboard amenities any time you want. Seatbelts are not necessary. Electronic devices arent limited. Whats more， some China HSTs even make WiFi available on board， Fuxing High Speed EMU for example.

e. Energy efficiency

HST uses electric power and adopts regenerative brake technology， which feeds back the braking energy back for power supply， thus effectively reducing energy consumption. According to the world railway organization （UIC）， with only 1kwh， HST is able to transport 170 people for one kilometer， which is 9 times of airplane and 4 times of automobile.

III. Conclusion

China now enjoys global advances in HST and HSR technology. And HST is an embodiment to the Chinese dream of rejuvenation. As Chinse people， we need to have a better understanding of what our country is proud of. This is where we gain our confidence when dealing with foreigner， aspiration when we lost our directions， and courage in front of difficulties. Lets work together to embark on a “rejuvenation” journey.

References：

[1]http：//uic.org/.

[2]https：//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China.

[3]https：//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail.

[4]“Chinas high speed railway exceeds 20，000 km”.China Daily.10 Sep 2016.Retrieved 2017-01-06.

[5]“General definitions of high speed”.International Union of Railways.Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.Retrieved 13 May 2009.

[6]“中國標準動車組命名”復興號””.Xinhua News Agency.25 Jun 2017.endprint