More passengers shuttling between China’s two biggest cities are choosing to hop on a bullet train rather than a flight, as airlines struggle to match the convenience offered by the country’s ultra-modern high-speed rail network.
The shift to rail has become so pronounced on the busy Beijing-Shanghai route that China’s air travel industry has warned its market is being “eroded”, with airlines scrambling to lure back customers with cheaper tickets and free limousine services.
Passengers made more than 52 million trips by train between Beijing and Shanghai last year, while only about 8.6 million people took a flight between the two cities, according to civil aviation platform Hangban Guanjia.
More than 100 high-speed trains now run between Beijing and Shanghai in both directions each day at speeds of up to 350km/h (217 mph), most of them comprising 16 to 17 carriages including first- and business-class cabins.
The profitability and high usage rate on the Beijing-Shanghai line offers a stark contrast to some other Chinese railways. Many lines in the country’s sparsely populated central and western provinces run at heavy losses.
Business travellers make up a particularly large proportion of rail passengers, Tong Lijun, deputy chief of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, told domestic media outlet Jiefang Daily.
“They favour many conveniences rail transport can offer but air travel cannot, such as good punctuality, city centre-to-city centre connectivity, reliable services even during unstable weather, and the flexibility to change departure times,” Tong said.
“Many tend to avoid air travel since having to go offline on a flight can be a deal-breaker, as they need to make full use of the journey to stay connected and do some work,” he added.
I've not been to China, so take this with a portable salt cellar. However, I took a fair number of ICEs in the '90s and arrived in Texas 10 years ago via Amtrak. There were no security measures.
I'd not be surprised if China has actual security versus the security theatre we do with air travel in the U.S.
You have to go through a check and have your luggage scanned upon entering a train station, and then go through another check before reaching the platforms.
However, the luggage scans seemed like a security theatre, and the main purpose of the checks seemed to be tracking people, since they were scanning passports.
Passports for domestic travel?
If you don’t have a national ID card you have to travel with your passport. I had to do this.
There’s also really weird “bomb checks” in China, where they won’t let you proceed randomly as a group. I’ve seen this on the metro, the high speed rail, and the airport.
So like if someone’s bomb is timed but you’re stuck in the group….
I don’t know why this is a good idea.