Transportation

Why High-Speed Train Is Really the Transport of Choice in China

  • About 830 million train trips taken in China in July-August
  • More domestic travelers choosing rail over flying: FCM Travel
High-speed trains at a station in Nanjing in eastern China’s Jiangsu province in January. Source: AFP/Getty Images
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When restaurateur Seven Song decided to go on a birthday trip from Beijing to Shanghai, her first travel outside the capital since the pandemic, she didn’t hesitate about taking the train over flying. The reasons were simple: high-speed rail is cheaper, more convenient, comfortable, and ultimately faster.

Many others in China agree — the country’s vast rail network has become increasingly sophisticated and the envy of the world, with high-speed trains whizzing between cities at speeds of about 320 kilometers an hour (200 mph).