English Transcript

Cập nhật 11/09/2008 16:22:34

China has always been ambitious when it comes to grand projects. It has just staged the most expensive Olympics ever and unveiled the tallest TV tower in the world. Now, it's working on building the world's fastest train.

Presenter: Lily Yan
Speakers: Author and former researcher on China's transportation Gu Jianqing


YAN: China's economy has been accelerating, so have its trains. China's first super fast train was launched only a month ago to transport Olympic players and spectators between Beijing and the co-host port city of Tianjing. The 350km-per-hour bullet train travelling over 400 kilometres each way has made the nation proud.

RESIDENT: It's an honour we have been looking forward to. It has drawn attention all over the world.

YAN:But it's not stopped there. The construction for an even faster train and a new rail link is already underway. Once it's completed in four years time, it will carry passengers between Beijing and Shanghai in a staggering 380 kilometres per hour through its 1300 km journey, cutting the travel time between these two megacities from 12 to 4 hours. Lee from China's Ministry of Railway has no doubt it will be a big boost for the local economy.

LEE: We are investing in this mainly for developing the economy. This is the most important reason for building these super fast train lines.

YAN: But critics say what China really needs are more railway connections to and within remote and undeveloped regions where train lines are still scarce. Super fast trains connecting affluent cities can only increase the wealth gap between the regions. But Gu Jianqing, a former researcher on China's transportation and an author of various books on China's railway development has applauded the building of fast trains in China.

GU: Time means money. It is correct to develop fast trains between wealthy cities first. Furthermore, it would not contradict with the railway development in remote areas where they only need traditional raillines. China is a big country and situations are different in different areas. They require different types of transportation.

YAN: Gu Jianqing is impressed by the progress made by the Ministry of Railway. He says the fast train development in China has come a long way.

GU: Back 10, 15 years ago, nobody would have believed China would be able to build the fastest train in the world by 2012. Most of the trains in China can only travel 60 to 80 km per hour, and that's the speed limit they had to travel within due to safety concerns. Sure, Japan, Germany and France have had the technology for a while, but for China to absorb, learn and master this technology, all of us thought it would take much longer time.

YAN: But it is not all rosy for China's ordinary people. A purposely built super fast train terminal in Beijing--Beijing South train station has caused much controversy since its opening a month ago. Locals complain the roads leading to the station are blocked and buses are re-routed without much public notice. And there are also ticketing problems and poor customer service for passengers riding on the fast trains between Tianjing and Beijing. But nothing will stop China's ambitious plans of building and expanding its super fast train networks, and Guo Jianqing says it's not just for the economy.

GU: These long term investment will suffer a loss at first, or for a long time. Sometimes it's difficult to judge a project purely based on its profit and loss, more importantly we need to look at its social benefits, not just economic ones.