Even before we have time to become blasé over having the world’s fastest train in our backyard for our fun weekends in Shanghai, we now have several other options to consider, in a westerly direction. This week saw the opening of high speed train links between Nanjing and Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Chongqing Municipality. Elsewhere, the new Xi’an North Railway Station has opened, following a generic model making it look much like the Hongqiao Transportation Hub in Shanghai or for that matter, almost any modern new airport. The new high speed trains shall link Xi’an and Nanjing in just four hours.
However, not everyone is happy over the proliferation of high speed trains all over China. Students and other low income groups have been voicing their dismay over ticket prices ahead of the mandatory journey home to spend Chinese New Year with their family. As an example, a second-class G train ticket from Nanjing to Shanghai costs ¥146, some 57% more than a D train seat. The student discount for the ride home at holiday time only comes to 25%. Such excessive prices are forcing many to face hugely inflated journey times on slower trains and irritable tickets office employees reluctant to sell the cheaper tickets.
