Train spotting- Zhejiang Province China
Dec 20, 2016 03:47:04 #
On a recent warm sunny day, I decided to head over to the high speed rail station and see if I could find a spot to take some pictures of the high speed trains. I was lucky to find a small mound of earth that was slightly higher than the tracks and took pictures of four trains that rolled by in less than 40 minutes. Since the trains were traveling in both directions, the pictures include trains coming towards the camera and away. If the the end of the train has red lights as in picture two, the train passed me from left to right and was traveling south. Other pictures you can see the headlamp of the trains traveling north.
For people who are unaware of the Chinese high speed rail network; it is the largest in the world and has the total amount of track of all other countries combined. Train fares are very low compared to Japanese and European high speed rail operators. It costs less than $30 to travel second class three hours to Shanghai.
The station and tracks I was photographing is on a north south route on the east coast.
It is a wise investment of state resources and has helped the Chinese economy and has also helped the people become more interconnected. Just imagine if American politicians became more concerned with the well-fare and long term interests of the American people and created a nation wide high speed rail network like all other advanced economies. It would create and sustain millions of good paying jobs, give people the ability to travel without a car between major cities and create a whole new manufacturing industry. Instead politicians in America spend billions of dollars bailing out the politically connected bankers when they take too much risk and waste billions of dollars on politically engineered aircraft like the ill performing F-35 at over $100 million dollars a piece that no average American will ever travel in.
Politically engineered- designing an aircraft for politicians in Washington where parts are made in 45 states which makes killing the ill performing and over budget program almost impossible.
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For people who are unaware of the Chinese high speed rail network; it is the largest in the world and has the total amount of track of all other countries combined. Train fares are very low compared to Japanese and European high speed rail operators. It costs less than $30 to travel second class three hours to Shanghai.
The station and tracks I was photographing is on a north south route on the east coast.
It is a wise investment of state resources and has helped the Chinese economy and has also helped the people become more interconnected. Just imagine if American politicians became more concerned with the well-fare and long term interests of the American people and created a nation wide high speed rail network like all other advanced economies. It would create and sustain millions of good paying jobs, give people the ability to travel without a car between major cities and create a whole new manufacturing industry. Instead politicians in America spend billions of dollars bailing out the politically connected bankers when they take too much risk and waste billions of dollars on politically engineered aircraft like the ill performing F-35 at over $100 million dollars a piece that no average American will ever travel in.
Politically engineered- designing an aircraft for politicians in Washington where parts are made in 45 states which makes killing the ill performing and over budget program almost impossible.
.
Dec 20, 2016 05:33:52 #
AsiaPaul wrote:
On a recent warm sunny day, I decided to head over... (show quote)
was not aware of china having so much high speed rail , i know what you mean about governments Australia is about to spend billions on 12 new subs yet the other big naval countries in the region are spending billions on the latest sub killers making our diesel subs obsolete before we even start building them lol money could be so much better spent , oh and we have agreed to purchase the f35 what a joke
thanks for sharing
Dec 20, 2016 05:38:26 #
The visual pollution of that system is only exceeded by your political diatribe.
Bob
Bob
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Dec 20, 2016 10:06:52 #
These high speed trains are very sleek. I'll bet they are beautiful when they are traveling across an uncluttered landscape between cities. Here too, the commuter rail utilizes the more commercial paths when in populated areas.
Dec 20, 2016 10:38:11 #
AsiaPaul wrote:
Your pictures are very nice; I will ignore your political statements for obvious reasons.On a recent warm sunny day, I decided to head over... (show quote)
Concerning rail service, I would point out that the map shows most service is on the east coast of China - I'm guessing that is where most of the people live - and there is no service to the west border of China - I have no idea how many people actually live there. In the USA, service was extended from the middle of the country {already connected to the east coast by rail} to the west coast in 1869, nearly 150 years ago; today there are three major lines {which include passenger service} to the west coast. Recently I rode one train from here to Chicago and a second one to the west coast; both trains were very pleasant.
In recent months I have posted two different series of pictures of USA passenger train service
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-416539-1.html
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-430357-1.html
The important thing to note about USA service is that a typical family has at least one automobile, and most of us find driving ourselves to be more convenient than riding a train, so you don't find many complaining about allocation of funds {and I hear more wanting to reduce Amtrak than those wanting better service}
Dec 21, 2016 12:16:47 #
Big Bill
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Rail travel in the US is more hampered by air travel than by auto travel.
HSR planning here in the US is also hampered by stupid thinking. "Hey, let's open the first part of the LA to the Bay Area HSR in nowhere, and have it go to nowhere. That should give the people an idea of how great HSR is! OH, and let's low-ball the costs, too."
Do you want to go from Phoenix to Miami? It's cheaper and faster to fly. By Amtrak: Three transfers, 3 days, $712, plus meals. By Southwest: 1 day, $637.
HSR makes sense in very large countries where the government will subsidize most of it, and where other means of travel aren't as available. Don't forget, most of Amtrak loses money (the NorthEast corridor mostly pays for itself, but it's a commuter corridor, not a long distance carrier).
HSR planning here in the US is also hampered by stupid thinking. "Hey, let's open the first part of the LA to the Bay Area HSR in nowhere, and have it go to nowhere. That should give the people an idea of how great HSR is! OH, and let's low-ball the costs, too."
Do you want to go from Phoenix to Miami? It's cheaper and faster to fly. By Amtrak: Three transfers, 3 days, $712, plus meals. By Southwest: 1 day, $637.
HSR makes sense in very large countries where the government will subsidize most of it, and where other means of travel aren't as available. Don't forget, most of Amtrak loses money (the NorthEast corridor mostly pays for itself, but it's a commuter corridor, not a long distance carrier).
Dec 21, 2016 15:41:49 #
Back in the day when our town had a reliable, consistent streetcar system, I always used it. Climb on, crack a book or doze, and get off when your street is called out. Total, stress-free travel. Yes, with a car you can go anywheres but at what personal stress cost.
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Dec 21, 2016 21:14:01 #
HSR is great for distances less than 500 miles. In China, Japan and Italy where I have lived and worked, high speed rail is better and more economical for distances less than 500 miles. Considering the time you have to budget for security for checking in which is about an hour or even 90 minutes, that time is not wasted on train. When I lived in Italy I flew from Rome to Sicily and here in China I take flights if I have to go more than 5 hours by high speed train.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and GE are all subsidized in a way with government contracts for defense weapons that are over priced. It would be better if a company would produce high speed trains for use in the US and also to export to other countries instead of exporting weapons.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and GE are all subsidized in a way with government contracts for defense weapons that are over priced. It would be better if a company would produce high speed trains for use in the US and also to export to other countries instead of exporting weapons.
Dec 22, 2016 00:32:12 #
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