High-speed rail is public service, not a gravy train for monopoly

CHINA RAILWAY CORP, the State-run railway company, will adjust the ticket prices for high-speed trains in certain southeast provinces starting on Friday. Most of the ticket prices will go up, and the ticket price from Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province to Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province has risen by over 50 percent. Legal Daily comments:

Many people have expressed concern about the decision, saying the price hikes are too much. China Railway responded that the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic planner, has authorized the adjustments.

That explanation is rather weak. As a State - run enterprise, China Railway cannot act like a purely commercial company and it must justify its decision to raise ticket fares, especially as some ticket fares are going up by more than 50 percent.