Better services will get more people on rails
By Zhen Xiaoyan | China Daily | Updated: 2007-04-27 07:01
China launched its sixth railway speed upgrade on April 18. Trains running on artery lines now travel at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. High-speed CRH trains are traveling between major cities at even higher speeds. But there are still some problems that should be tackled.
The railway sector should improve its overall competitiveness.
After this sixth speedup, there will be 410 inter-city high-speed trains running nationwide. Such an adjustment shows that the sixth upgrade has concentrated on short-distance transportation, aiming to win over some travelers from road transportation.
This is a disputable orientation. Speed upgrades are a major means for the railway service to compete with road and air transport. The sector has already won back some passengers and turned a profit by speeding up. But the strategy to win short-distance passengers does not fit the characteristics of railway transportation, Chinese traveling trends, or the development of a comprehensive transportation network.
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