CHINESE Railways is to increase the maximum speeds on its five trunk routes with effect from July 1, paving the way for the introduction of a new national timetable in October. The three main lines from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang, currently limited to 120 or 140 km/h, will be raised to 160 km/h. Shanghai - Hangzhou will be boosted from 120 to 140 km/h.
Maximum speed on the Guangzhou - Shenzhen line will be lifted from 180 to 200 km/h ready for the start of test running with the leased X2000 trainset - now being marketed as Xinshisu (New Speed in China). Guangshen Railway Corp announced on May 28 that it planned to launch X2000 services on August 1, although electrification work is still not complete. Trials at up to 250 km/h are envisaged on the 30 km section between Xiayuan and Chashan.
CR is also to launch a number of experimental schemes to attract more passengers on key routes, including ’turn up and go’ on-train ticket sales on the Beijing - Tianjin shuttle services and complementary meals on the Chinese leg of the Beijing - Ulan Bator - Moscow international trains. Plans are being drawn up for operation of privately-chartered business cars attached to regular trains between selected station pairs.
- Double-tracking of the 911 km Hangzhou - Zhuzhou corridor was formally completed at the end of May; the work has taken 15 years at a total cost of US$1·1bn. Doubling of the Shanghai - Hangzhou section is also largely finished, leaving only the construction of a new bridge at Hangzhou to complete the double-tracking of the whole route. o
