I've been to China five times, right before covid, they were all about 2 weeks to 2-month stints. I spent most of my time in Guangzhou, but I also travelled to Beijing, Shenzhen and HK, all in subways and bullet trains, without speaking any Mandarin. Guangzhou to Beijing was a 10hour bullet train ride (1200mi), it cost me around $100usd for first class (there are two more expensive options). I never even got into a taxi or Didi (their version of Uber) the whole time I was there. It absolutely blew my mind of how convenient, comfortable, clean and safe the whole system is, China in general. I strongly suggest any Westerner to visit, it will VERY quickly open your eyes as to how fast we're getting left in the dust. Coming back to LA was quite depressing to say the least.
The investment in infrastructure is huge and the returns are slow. Private companies will not do these things. In addition, the land is private, which is not conducive to the construction of high-speed trains in the United States. In addition, airlines will object.
China is public ownership, the United States is private ownership. China's land belongs to the state or collective. We only have the right to use and cannot trade land, so the land will not be concentrated in the hands of a few people. I think the American system must also have advantages or disadvantages. America is a haven for the rich, protecting the interests of the few. These rich people hate public ownership very much. China is actually a mixture of public and private ownership. We also have many problems
@@戚文玮 no place is perfect, that is true. But from what I've seen, the average Chinese person in China seems a lot happier and healthier, what is life without that? Money really isn't everything, especially if you're miserable.
@@2WheelsGood.01 Although I am Chinese, I do not know enough about China, and there are many phenomena that I cannot explain. Or maybe I used to be able to answer and can't now because my brain is forgetting some knowledge.
@@戚文玮 Return of a train of a city is not limit to train tickets. Trades, travel, flow of goods, flow of people, living standards. It is about city planning, not just profit of a private operator. That's why US is planning to pump in lot of money and resources for that. Well, of course, there is always lack of actions other than talks and politics in US.
I doubt that. Trains haul a lot of unnecessary mass unless they are packed full of passengers. Cars can be 'size appropriate', dispacting only the seats needed. Plus cars are door to door, making them much more convenient. And they are able to run on demand rather than on fixed schedules.
@@bobwallace9753 I've never seen someone be so delusional to claim it's trains and not cars that are space inefficient. How about when you park your car that's zero use, whereas a train is going all day, mutiple people will use one seat per day. Convience is nothing to do with sustainability. On demand to one location is inefficient and if you have mass interconnected public transport, bus metro, train, it would pretty much be on demand like an underground where it's literal minutes between trains. You haven't ever addressed the extra materials required to produce an eletric car and the lithium extraction which is unstainable, whereas trains don't have batteries again saving weight increasing speed and reducing use of natural resources.
@@bobwallace9753 Except all the space needed for car infrastructure. Add to that point that a vast majority of cars carry 1 person at a time most of the time it's driven.
@@Alex-cw3rz Perhaps I'm delusional. Perhaps you lack the knowledge necessary to understand what I posted. Apparently you do not realize how close we are to robotaxis. A single robotaxi should replace five to ten privately owned vehicle and will not sit parked over 90% of the time as happens with privately owned cars. There are already robotaxis operating on city streets. Tesla is very close to finishing their full self driving system which will bring millions of robotaxis into service. Have you any train experience? If so, you know that there's a 9 o'clock train, an 11 o'clock train, whatever. That is you fitting to the train schedule. Not the robotaxi fitting itself to your schedule. I've recently ridden trains and subways on two continents and one waits in stations, even for routes with very high usage. I recently needed to move from one side of Italy to the other. There's one bus per day. Lithium is extremely abundant and with recycling (which is already happening) there will be no lithium problem. I expect Tesla to produce Cybertaxis. Cast aluminum frames and stainless steel exoskeletons. Design for an easily refurbished interior and you've got a vehicle with a useful lifespan of several decades. LFP batteries are likely to be usable for more than 3M millies before they are recycled. Have you not ridden on a train, bus, plane, or subway car that had lots of empty seats? I've flown a couple times recently with passenger loads of less than 50%. I've ridden on buses with 10% or less passenger loads. I've ridden on subways with less than 5% loads. That's unnecessary movement of mass. Need to move one person? Dispatch a 1 or 2 passenger robotaxi. Need to move a dozen? Dispatch a 12 or 16 passenger robo-bus, not a 60 passenger bus.
@@ledheavy26 We need that car infrastructure because cars are our 'last mile' technology. As we move to self-driving cars what we are likely to see on our highways are 'trains' of individual cars traveling at high speeds with almost no distance between them. A string of cars can operate as a 'single organism'. Accelerating, slowing, and stopping as a unit. Think about a typical four lane highway. The inside lanes filled with vehicles traveling nose to butt at the maximum set speed for that portion of the route. The outside lanes used for vehicles entering and leaving the high speed lane. A given stretch of rail track is empty most of the time. As we move to robotaxis we should expect to see single (or two) passenger robos and larger capacity options. The central computer will dispatch the 'best fit' vehicle as needed.
Yes I fully understand what you mean about this train, I have used this train on about half a dozen occasions and omg it's fantastic, I will never forget the time we were in Shenyang train station getting the train to Dalian which is a distance of 238 miles, we got onto the train, found our pre booked seats, we got ourselves settled in sorting out what snacks we had in the bag etc, by the time we sorted ourselves and I looked up out of the window and blimey, we were on the outskirts of Shenyang city ! I was totally gobsmacked because we felt nothing inside the carriage, no sense of movement at all almost totally silent and so smooth, no sensation of speed at all to tell your senses we were moving ! and I can concur about the coin on the window ledge ! Everyone should be able to experience traveling on these amazing trains !
Not in 🇬🇧 I fear as there’s too many objectors to everything. From roads improvements around or under Stone Henge to the Northern high, well for the U.K. high speed line.
SIR THIS NOTHING! CHINA IS VERY POOR COUNTRY! MY INDIA IS BETTER ! 🤗🇮🇳THIS WHY I AM VERY LUCKY AND PROUD TO LIVE IN INDIA 🤗🇮🇳 THE SUPERPOWER RICHEST AND CLEANEST COUNTRY, I CAN'T IMAGINE IF I WAS NOT BORN IN INDIA , WE HAVE TOILETS ANYWHERE , INDIA IS ROLE MODEL COUNTRY TRUST ME 🤗🇮🇳 I KNOW MANY PEOPLE JEALOUS CANT LIVE IN INDIA 🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
@@craigo2656 how do you detained, housed, fed a million people? the New York Times actually reported a NED subsidiary used one of UN's room to announce its unsubstantiated report. UN quickly disassociated itself from the matter.
@@qewfsdsd65445 Genocide.... Really.... Ask the Jews about the real meaning of that word. 5 weeks invasion and suddenly its "genocide" ....... As if the WHOLE of Europe is NOT supporting Russia.... Whilst it buys its gas & petrol every single day....
I traveled from Shanghai to Hangzhou. You can't feel the speed untill another train 🚆 from the other direction passes you super fast. Very comfortable. The station is better than airports
A friend used to work for a consulting firm and there was a particular advice by was it Boeing? to run a smear campaign against Chinese rail networks. The goal was to sabotage the trust in Chinese rail systems so that Boeing can continue to reap many billions in profits in airplane sales to Chinese airlines. Fees/"donations" were paid to certain "editors" at major news networks like NYT or CNN or ABC and the smear campaign begun. Thankfully it did not work and the Chinese today have found a much more economical and environmentally friendly way for mass long distance rapid transport/transit. If you do a search of news articles from these news sources during the period when the high speed rail system was expanding in China in 2008 to 2015 - u will find numerous articles belaboring the same points as part of the smear campaign.
@@logicalChimp partly... HSR is often YIMBY, partly because they're compensated for it and the construction is relatively fast. although at times some reluctant parties get forcibly moved anyways, mostly the HSR(and 5G cellular towers) is very much welcomed. the rapid development and connection of all these suburban and rural areas means a LOT more money circulating throughout the entire country(there are many boons to this).
I'm from Fiji, had the pleasure of living in China for almost 5 years totally miss the convenience of bullet trains and back to catching cars or flights which seem so archaic for me now
What I love the most about these Chinese high-speed railways is, that by design, they never cross with any other infrastructure or anything else. All of the railway is either elevated (on bridge) or in a tunnel. There's no railway crossings for crashes with cars, there's no possibility of stray animals on rails (other than birds), nothing to endanger or be endangered by the train. Safe and always on schedule.
@@jimsouthlondon7061 It is precisely because land acquisition is too troublesome that most high-speed rail lines in China use viaducts. If you have taken Chinese trains, you will find that trains do not travel on the ground most of the time
@@HarutoIgarashi Land acquisition is still required to build the viaducts. Just as with a railroad ROW at ground level, land must be cleared, houses and buildings in the way must be removed, etc.
@@bidon5037 AFAIK there are still tracks on the terrain level, crossed by pedestrians, animals and possibly farming equipment. I mean TGV is great, but these Chinese ones are on a whole new level
Great Video as always! Do want to point out the comparison is not fair at 6:20, LA to SF is only 614 KM (382 Miles) , while Beijing to Shanghai is 1213 km (753 Miles). A closer comparison should be from New York to Chicago, which is 1271 KM (790 Miles)
Having traveled on many highspeed trains around the world, I can say that China's train system is the best in the world, and by a large margin. Everything you'd want for traveling, it provides in spades, 5/5 stars. It's clean, fast, inexpensive, dependable, timely, very secure (airport level security) and very comfortable. If you're a Chinese citizen, it's almost too simple to get a ticket (online or one of the hundreds vending machines at the station), but if you're a foreigner, it's a bit of a pain and can take a couple hours. With that said, this awesomeness can't be duplicated by any, if not all, 1st world countries. Why? Because the Chinese government owns everything. They own the trains, the rails, the land and the companies that runs it all. They owned the land before they built the rails on them. There wasn't a legal fight to obtain the land (they did compensate the relocation of those people tho).The airlines didn't lobby to stop the railways because the Chinese government owns the airlines too. The airlines aren't 'struggling' as he mentioned. The airlines and trains are part of the same government branch. It was all planned (quite successfully, btw). It's easy to do something like this, when there's nothing and nobody to stop you. While it may sound like I'm being negative on this, but if you asked me if I would support the US government to do something similar with the USA rail system, I would say Yes, only hoping the government doesn't F it up like most things.
@@ABC-ABC1234 The vending machines are for citizens only. Foreigners must buy tickets at the counter from a person (passport check). Usually there are only 1 or 2 people manning the counters, and it takes about 5 mins per person to buy a ticket. In a large city, there could be a hundred people in line at any given time.
@@k3an-official Why must there be an additional passport check? How are you entering China without a passport? Such unnecessary control! Or at least allow special vending machines for international travelers... That system is really weird. Thank you for the explanation btw =)
@@ABC-ABC1234 I am original from China but hold the foreign passport. China train ticket booking system only allows the Chinese ID holder to book the ticket on line up to 60 days and get the ticket from the vendor machine on the day of travel, or use the ID card to take the train directly without print the ticket at all. My relative booked the ticket for me using his account with my passport information, but I had to fetch the ticket through the personal service. Last time in 2018, I spent total 10 minutes to get my ticket with 5 persons ahead of me on the line. As my passport was never checked when booking the ticket, the person checked my passport and issued the ticket to me. My name and last 3 digits of passport number were printed on the ticket too.
California has been F-ing it up for the high speed rail; it's going to cost over $100 BILLION, more than double the original budget and it's taking like half a century to build! Ugh!
Even if there were no security checks in airports, the trains are often faster because the stations tend to be in city centres, but you need to get to/from the airport on each end. Edinburgh city centre to London city centre, even with slow UK trains is already around the same time on the train vs a plane
And with airports you need to check in 1 hour in advance then there's the time spent on the runway. Cost of a ticket isn't cheap and you still get charged for luggage quantity and weight
I think the highspeed trains are great but they are not located in city centers. These rail lines has several rails parallel to each other on concrete beds. And with trains traveling on them at high speed, you can see why they don't cut through Chinese cities. They are way more spacious and comfortable than planes though. Less vibration and no dry mouth from thin air. I rode the Harmony line from Shanghai to Beijing in 2017 and it was the best long-haul travel experience I ever had.
@@kevinc1200 In Europe most intercity stations are either in or near the centre, and in any case are joined to the commuter network of trains and buses. In the mid-90s I found I could bet from my office in Soho in London to the centre of Paris about an hour faster than a colleague by air! I checked some time tables recently and found I could get to Barcelona with only one stop, as there is a direct connection from Paris. London for Breakfast and Barcelona for Lunch!
"Slow UK trains" .... lol ...... try Australia, where coverage is scarce and in some cases trains can be slower than the bus. (Canberra-Sydney, Brisbane-Toowoomba)
The Eurostar is quicker to Paris for me too even though it's slower ;o) It's much quicker for me to get to St Pancras than it is to any of the main London airports (I can get to the Docklands one much quicker but flights re REALLY expensive), I've managed to make the train arriving there 15 mins before it leaves and Gard de Nord is in a much better part of Paris for me as I'm usually visiting Montmartre which is a 20-30 min walk away. Another benefit of the trains... they're much quieter and more relaxing.
140 km in 30 minutes??? I have a friend who lives that far away and it's a 2 hour drive to visit her! To be able to hop on a train and visit her in 30 minutes? Without dealing with traffic, and with the ability to relax and snack on the way?? Sadly, I live in the US and this won't happen in my lifetime....if ever
The problem is with those petro companies. They will not allow anything that compete with them. So gas, gas and gas…until everyone get fed up and throw them out for good.
I love the bullet train system. Been in China for 5 years, and it never ceases to amaze me. I wish the US would have adopted this years ago when we had the chance.
@Dennisestrada You're in your own seat with plenty of spaces travelling automatically with services at 300-350 km / hr ... or you can drive by yourself at 100-150 km per hour with the higher chance of car accidents and traffic jams.
@Dennisestrada "I don't live in NY or LA" ok that's great for you but many people do live in major cities. In fact, 83% of Americans live in urban areas. Also, just because you have no reason to "travel across the country" (why would you do that by rail anyways) doesn't mean other people don't have reasons to travel between two cities on a daily basis. Imagine NY to DC or LA to San Fran. Your worldview is too narrow because you put your own life experience at the center of policy making, which is flawed and very short sighted. But if you wanna cope that's understandable. Meanwhile, China will keep developing its massive rail network.
I think you're wrong. That's not a little step it's a huge leap forward. I wonder if you could compute if most travel within 200 miles were made on train instead of any other vehicle what the savings would be in terms of CO2. I think it would be much larger than most of us have the ability to imagine. In this case China is beyond the world leader. It is a light to the world.
You know, I was thinking the same, but then I realized it’s a question of expectations. With respect to what China wants to achieve, it is baby steps. But compared to our expectations in the west, it feels like giant leaps because our politicians subject us to insane bureaucracy that waste both time and money all to preserve the status quo. Most politicians would just dismiss it as “this is just how democracy works,” but I have a hard time believing that when clear majorities want high speed rail but it takes literal decades just to build a single 80 mile line (let alone thousands of miles). I think it has more to do with the large sums of money they get from the oil/gas industry. China imports a lot of fossil fuels so it’s in their best interest to use less and eventually chuck it all. Plus, they don’t have a 100 year old fossil fuel industry that has taken nearly full control of their political process. It’s just too bad that China is an autocratic surveillance state.
@@ScramJett I think 90% of our negative understanding of China’s political system, came from our media trying to deflect the flaws of our own political structure. But who knows, time will tell, I know many countries outside the west actually think USA is the true bully and dictator of the world that involved in almost every wars.. it’s all depends on angles.
I never reallized that the high speed rail only produces 1/20 CO2 compared with air plan does. As an engineer, this is almost equal to ZERO CO2 emissions. Thanks for the information and education.
There's a reason why Boeing and their business consultants pay American news networks to censor this type of information. This is the problem of oligarch owned media companies with no democratic oversight or transparent editorial processes
That is only if the train is full. In the video it looked like there were only 6 people in the compartment. That was what, about 20% capacity? The empty seats still generate that co2. 🤫
@@WyvernApalis I am absolutely for reducing environmental impact. I only want truthful facts. Don't say one thing and display another. If it is truly an improvement, show that. We, as a world, have enough lies from our "leaders". Let's set a better example. Sorry....
I've had very positive experience with traveling on the bullet trains between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, shorter trips that would have absolutely taken longer via car or plane. Travelling Business Class (Which is like First Class on a flight) was very comfortable, the service was exceptional and the fares very reasonably priced.
I am very envious. I have seen much of the world in my working life as an airline pilot. I've seen a different world mostly from 35,000 ft and enjoyed every minute. I retire a few years ago and had planned to see that same world from a different angle, the train. I achieved one trip around Taiwan which included the High speed train from Kaohsiung to Taipei, loved it...........then the virus arrived and the mainland China network is on hold. Soon I will join you.
I think that’s what he’s talking about..Even though the aeroplane takes 2 hours and the train takes 4 hours for the same journey… The total travel time with the faffing around on the plane makes it quicker on the train.
actually most new high speed doesn't link into the centre, most goes up to the suburbs where it eventually becomes the new center. reason? Cost.... going into the city is extremely annoying and costly, so if they could they would avoid it. case study: Shin-Osaka SKS station.
@@PrograError Yes and no. Technically most lines don't go to the center but they're all connected by a metro line that goes directly to the center -- so it's still fast enough/clolse enough to be considered "connected to the center core"
I was unfortunate enough to sit near a middle aged fat man who let loose his gas way too often, probably liver failure, anyways it was a horrible experience. Boring too, because I've already watched all of those same movies a million times while traveling across the country..not to mention the occasional turbulences, really makes you stressed.
My heart is begging for a system like this in the United States. As somebody who cannot drive, it would be so much better to take this to see my relatives rather than having to worry about a plane ticket, security, uneven jet bridges that could cause me to fall… You get the point. :-)
@Hurt each other Macon I know the railways are owned primarily by private companies stateside, and as far as operating at a loss, I’m not up on current infrastructure law and history to know. That having been said, I’m an optimist and things can always change. Especially if more people desire it.
@@crytow5071 but Amtrak is not high speed through the whole country. The lines are also not all electric. Many if not most are diesel. The lines were not designed for high speed rail traffic (e.g. 150-200mph), and in some areas (like where I am), there’s no direct connection to the rail network, instead you need to take a bus for the first leg.
Canada here, expanding a slow subway line, 7.9 KM, and it's gonna take 8 BLOODY years to finish if everything goes SMOOTHLY, u know what I mean, if it can finish within 10 years, thats gonna be a MIRACLE!
@@_seola_ you've Forgot to say cost overrun. Starting costs is one then After years of delays and cost overruns. Price went 5 to 10x from original cost! Remember stadium in CANADA Montreal it started with 111millions then 20 years later end up 1.5Billions and counting! That's how good is Capitalism with building of public projects. Massive frauds after frauds, where no one get prosecuted for fraudulent crimes.
I recently returned to England having lived in the Middle East and America for 26 years. Agreeing with Elliott, I was staggered at not only the cost of rail travel here, but how little the technology has advanced.
Sadly the main government in power in the UK considered rail to be near communist so hence no investment. Now its embarassed its fallen so far behind Europe. So now it has to invest vastly more taxpayer billions to add one hsr line than just hoping the network investment would come from private capital.
@@stephendoherty8291 Damn right, why the fuck would you want free healthcare and cheap rail? Commie nonsense, nothing speaks better than good ol' Capitalism making its buck so that you and your family gets the privilege of working under a rich man so you can live on another day, you should be thankful you even is considered employable with those nasty views of yours.
I also took a train from Shanghai to Guangzhou and it took around 6 hours. But it's way better than a 6 hour flight. Lots of more space, great views from the windows, and you can stretch outside in between stops. And you're directly in the centre of the city most of the times!
That train is cruising at about 185mph, No where in the west does that happen. China is leaving the west behind and will be fully renewable energy before the west .
That is not true. Our AVE trains here in Spain do the same. The TGV network in France (it is called something else now) is also on par with that. There is simply no space to have really long distance, the countries are to small. They are working in Barcelona_Paris as extension from Madrid-Barcelona. Also Madrid-Barcelona-London (they are thinking of 5h BCN-LDN) but the British have a problem on there side of the tunnel, the high speed train line between St. Pancras and the tunnel can go only 40mph, needing for the 70mi nearly 2h, about the same time you need to go the 360mi between Madrid and Barcelona.
@@edc1569 The Eurostar is not part of long distance high speed rail. You always have to change trains. The proposed link to London is not stopping in Paris. It would go thru but is not being built for several, political, reasons. One, the British side, two the speed in the tunnel, 3, border issues since Brexit (borders, in 2022, really?) 4, missing money from the EU in Britain thanks to Brexit, and they do not have any money of course. Britain wants air, international and domestic, trains tickets cost a fortune there, you can fly cross country for the price of a parking ticket in London.
@@chrisspain Spain's high-speed infrastructure funds came from other countries' taxpayers. Imagine thinking that taking other countries' tax money is ok in 2022.
I’m so lucky, both you and Simon Clark have put train content on RUclips today. This is THE BEST long term transportation method for sustainability, period. Thank you for highlighting this.
@@achenarmyst2156 the oil & gas industry is the biggest problem right now. They need to go extinct sooner rather than later, and they know that, which is why they are fighting back so hard. It often feels like one small step forward and two giant leaps backwards.
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
@Lighthouse Saunders when governments invest in infrastructure, the services rarely, if ever, make any money. but this is by design. the benefit provided to civilians by means of decreased effective distance and logistics means that governments are willing to lose millions on infrastructure if it means that it will allow for development elsewhere.
Airplanes are the safest form of transportation on the planet, but their insecurity is magnified by artificial panic because of the extremely high death rate in plane crashes. Last week's accident is indeed very sad, but before that, China's civil airline industry had been operating for more than 4,000 days without any accident, which is unimaginable for vehicles.
@@zhuiexciheddy75 Yes. Valid points. I don't doubt what you say in regards to safety statistics for air travel. But, here in the US, we've allowed passenger rail travel to deteriorate dramatically since the mid 20th century and flying is the only real option we have for medium to long haul mass transportation. I'm envious of countries who have developed modern high speed rail systems, while we have doggedly insisted on ignoring it. Beyond the fact that air travel is going to be the more environmentally dirtier form of transportation for a very long time, it's also not exactly the most pleasant way to get around.
@@benjaminnead8557 there is no reason that air travel should be so dirty if they invested as much into research in the aviation industry as they have blown on building HSR. Look at China. State rail company that owns all the HSR lines and stock is USD850B in debt.
@@rjbiker66 I'm optimistic that electric aviation will be viable someday. Solid state batteries will certainly help. But we're not there yet. Maybe in another 10 or 15 years before it can seriously make a dent in fossil fuel commercial aviation. Meanwhile, passenger rail in the US has been so decimated that we're not going to catch up with the Chinese anytime soon there, so don't worry. There's also a lot of NIMBYism here when it comes to mapping out new routes. We're probably going to be limited to regional project and trains in the Acela class. Or we get distracted with stuff like Hyperloop.
I recently(ish) had the opportunity to compare the same trip by three different transport modes: Zhengzhou to Beijing by plane, bus and bullet train. The plane was, by just over 30 minutes, the fastest way to travel between the airports.... but most of that 30 minutes was lost getting from the middle of Zhengxhou to the airport way out of town (in a car, on toll roads). The plane was also by far the most expensive option. By bus... well... probably the less said about that the better TBH. The actual city-to-city time ended up being around 12 hours, 6 of which were stuck in traffic jams around the toll booths. The Chinese have a "unique" approach to motorway etiquette which doesn't help... With the bus, having arrived "somewhere in Beijing", I still needed a 30 minute taxi ride to get to the airport for my onward flight. The train.... 2h30m from city-centre to city-centre. Yes, there was an additional 20ish IIRC minutes getting from the Beijing station to the airport, but the comfortable journey preceding that more than made up for it. The train was more expensive than the bus, but not by much - and the comfort factor more than made up for the slight price difference. Unlike Elliot, I slummed it in second class - and frankly, it was easily better than the equivalent UK "standard" class, not quite as good as UK first class, but up there for sure. TL;DR: Take the bullet train if you're going to be travelling around China - even if you're going very long distances. You'll save massive amounts of money compared to the planes, you'll have decent legroom and comfort, and the chances are you'll be nearer where you actually want to be when you arrive. One thing I would point out: Unlike Elliot's experience, whenever I've travelled on the bullet trains, I've had to book a seat in advance (way in advance if travelling during Spring or Autumn festivals), and there's plenty of metal detectors/scanners/security to go through to get into the terminal. Not as bad as the airport, but definitely leave enough time to queue to go through the scanners.
I've seen videos trying to discredit the trains of China but I knew better. Of course, large projects has large potential for problems but high speed train easily beats plane and passenger vehicles multiple times in value. Oh, the leg room and window size, no pressurized cabin, uggh..many more
Watching this in New Zealand as we have no pedestrian trains between citys just cargo trains. There used to be but no longer so instead there's thousands of pickups and V8s with 1 person in them clogging the roads..... we don't even have dual lane roads between citys either, just what most would call back roads so 300km takes around 5 hours 😒
I'm a New Zealander living in China, and New Zealand's public transport is disgusting. Buses here in Shenzhen are all electric, in New Zealand they're petrol powered, here the buses come every five minutes, in NZ you might get two an hour, here the buses are cheap just 2元 less than $0.50 NZD to go as far as you want, in NZ they're expensive and you pay per "stage". Fully electric taxi's everywhere here. Brilliant subway system. Awesome high-speed train system. And a rapid transition to electric vehicles, only Norway is doing better. I'm hoping to get my own electric car this year.
@@Enoch-Root Your point is well taken but Kiwi's didn't patronise the passenger train network in sufficient numbers apart from @ holiday times which is why the service was withdrawn; it was a (massive) loss making service for (decades) & to be fair, it was very slow. Aotearoa's population is too small to support the kind of public bus network you discuss in your comment thus the low frequency rate for intercity & rural communities services. I used to take the bus from Whangarei to Kaeo, just north of Kerikeri when @ boarding school; it took 4 hours one way & was rarely full, although very reliable. Whilst eventually Kiwi bus services will have to go fully EV, it's a massive ask for services that must struggle to make a profit, expensive tickets or otherwise; most of the places they service are one man & his dog - 2 dogs if you're lucky.
Roads are too hilly & twisty turney for dual carriageways & even if it were possible to install them, traffic numbers just wouldn't support the astronomical investment required in such a small country with such a small population. You can drive for hours outside of urban centres and barely see another vehicle other than at holiday times.
@@pinkelephants1421 I'm talking about the bus service within Auckland. It's slow, infrequent, and expensive. And people do make the excuse that not enough people uses the buses, and I'd say it's because of the above reasons. If it was faster, more frequent and significantly cheaper then a city like Auckland has enough population that if you can provide a service which is significantly better than driving your own car, it could work... But at this point it would have to be unbelievably better to convince people to stop driving, even with the raise in petrol prices I've been hearing about.
Thank you for covering this topic! Fortunately the same thing is happening in Europe, albeit slower. France has even gone so far as banning local short-haul flights for any journey that can be made within an hour and a half, replacing them with code-shared train journeys - most people already choose the train ahead of a plane anyway for such journeys because it's a much nicer experience than flying. Rail is still energy efficient and able to prove itself as an important transportation technology, and more investment should be made to modernise rail freight as it's still underutilised.
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
The most comfortable ride from Beijing to Shanghai for me. Efficient checkin system and always on time. And the best of it all, you have room to move about!
Electric transport systems like bullet trains are easy to make green - they automatically become greener as the grid does. Also, most people travel during the day when the grid has a larger mix of solar. Furthermore, you can choose to slow them down at times of peak demand on the grid, to avoid pollution from peaker plants. Train stations are good places to install solar panels and batteries too.
You can also plan routing so the right of way can be used for transmission infrastructure. Imagine the green generated energy running in massive cables under or along side the maglev tracks.
@@jafajustanotherfrustrateda8935 That one needs to be investigated deeper. I remember the case when trolleybus line was denied extension because it would have to run along high voltage powerline, and would potentially create issues. Something about how electro-magnetic fields work.
@@jur4x yes that I do understand. I was of course thinking that with the cooling needed for maglev coils they could share the cooling system with the power grid. That would allow superconducting on the power system but curving the power lines magnetic field is indeed an interesting technical problem. Since maglev requires magnetic fields to be precisely managed maybe they could time the transmission system to work in harmony with it. Hum I'll think more on it.
Also, electric transport systems usually have an energy recovery system, so in China, when the HSR train goes from the west (mountainous area, high altitude) to the east (coastal area, low altitude), the energy consumption is quite low.
I like Elliot's scope of vision here. The importance of high speed rail in green tech may not be immediately obvious, but he's absolutely right. Well played, sir.
The high speed trains in China are great, comfortable(LOTS of legspace), clean, fast and reliable. I loved traveling with the high speed trains in China it is so much better than the plane AND also better than travelling by car. When I compare this to today here in the Netherlands, in the news "all train traffic stops because of a computer error, thousands of passengers stuck" btw these trains here are NOT high speed.
the UK is being left in the dark by every developed nation, grinding to a halt with the worst condition roads/rail network of any cash rich country and doing nothing about it. videos like this give me hope, just wish the people in charge would watch and learn FAST. must visit china some day, they are miles ahead with this and even electric cars.
They were able to develop in the past that is because they have stolen $$$trillions from all the countries they have forced to colonise. Today they cannot steal like before and they like poor beggar with no money to build new or upgrade their infrastructures.
Oh don't worry. No matter how far the UK gets left behind, the US will inevitably be even farther behind. We basically only have a VERY few cities with a comprehensive mass transit system and nothing nationally
@@hengongchua6250 oh they are still stealing. I think like 7 billion from the Afghan population while their economy collapses and Europe is forced to buy expensive LNG from the US now instead of cheap pipeline national gas
Awesome report. I love the idea of being able to get around on trains and limiting domestic air travel. Of course it's almost impossible to get around West Texas, where I live, without a car. I think they are on to something. 🙂
China made the right call using high speed trains on steel wheels instead of maglev. There was a huge debate on the technology in early 2000s, and they correctly decided on using trains on steel wheels because 1. they are interoperable with ordinary rails, so high speed *trains* can serve the whole nation even where there is no HSR, and can piece-by-piece build HSRs over the years to improve on speed. also, this allows terminating trains to use ordinary rails to reach city centre, while trains passing through can stop at the suburban station before continuing to another city without slowing down 2. they don't need to rely on proprietary technology, and now, 15 years later, China is exporting trains internationally. that could never happen if China relies on Germany's Transrapid for each new maglev trains also, would like to point out a few things. 1:55 i think you meant Beijing, not Shanghai also the two footages at 2:08 and 2:11 are filmed in Hong Kong's KCR network around the 1980s, not on China Railway. Most of CR's railway network was not electrified in the 80s, which makes the HSR an even bigger upgrade
China also produces the most EV's in the world. So 2/3 of those transportation systems are being led by China on green energy front. All the while, USA keeps saying China produces the CO2 emissions of any country.... Well, thats because USA exported all its manufacturing to China!! I'd like to see USA keep its emissions down while producing everything as well
When it comes to train systems here in the US we are still in the horse and buggy age. It is redicilous that just about every major European country has a bullet train, in the US NONE. Only California is even building one all be it way over budget and way behind schedule. Pretty paretic.
@@jamesengland7461 Our gov. it the biggest hinderance to just about everything we try to do here. I had a friend that lost his house in the LA fires a few years ago. It took 2 and a half years to get the permits and a year to build the house. WTF, there was a house there before the fire, why can't the gov. just say put it back with out all the BS.
@@Danielzsy That is to bad. That is what I think. It's obvious we the US can't do it so get the Chinese, Germans, French some country that has done it.
The train you were on is a CRH380B or CRH380BL which derives from ICE3 train from Germany. It has been in operation for almost a decade. Maybe next time you can try the 复兴号 'The Renaissance', the local produced next generation high-speed train. However, the continuous Covid resurgences nationwide may long postpone your next trip.
They suspect HS2 to be planned as an airport shuttle. Moreover the projected track is cutting through several protected areas. Although always an advocate of high speed trains I understand their hesitation.
Good reporting :) The change is incredible … I was in China in 2018… traveling in a regular train to my wife’s hometown.. now there’s a high speed train that goes 300km/h + in the same route
Here are some mind blowing statistics: Total HSR network in China alone is 40000km, with another 30000km still under construction. In comparison, there is only 26000km globally outside China.
I was always convinced that trains are the only way of truly sustainable long distance travel. If Western democracies really conceive themselves as having a superior system compared to China they should massively expand their bullet train tracks and high speed lines!!!
@@موسى_7 Most non-English-speaking democracies do not have sufficient high speed rail. There are a few exceptions, Germany and France, as you mentioned, and - to a certain extent - Benelux, Italy and Spain.
Ive been to China, Japan , and many european countries and tried the high speed train . just for informations , China bought so many best thing from everywhere , in Shanghai Maglev train it was Germany siemens technology. in Shanghai metro Line 1 it was American Westinghouse system , I took cable car in Huangshan mountain in China it was built by Swiss company. China CHR hi speed train system use a lot if France technology too. remember the Beiiing olympic stadiums ? the bird nest , the aquatic etc ? the architec were from world known companies from foreign countries. they have the money and they have the political will ...thats the best of China Im Indonesian , we are building high speed train together with yhe Chinese now . its a fair and open tender , the participant were from Japan, France, Germany too but the winner is Chinese company
One of my favourite Fully Charged episodes to date. I was on a bullet train in Japan a few years ago, and they definitely are the future. Great work, Elliot.
@@waqasahmed939 Subsidized and low average wages, maybe? Could also be that demand makes up for much of the income - there are more than a billion people in China after all.
@@yang676 That's a fair point. Land is huge premium in small countries, and especially in Japan where they've got a fairly large population where they can't even use all of their land Perhaps a bullet train would also work in the US, given the sheer availability of land. The US is a weird place for land prices. Some places, it is insanely cheap and some places it is insanely expensive. I imagine that they would sorta cancel out and give them a fairly cost efficient way of travelling In Western Europe, we're fairly densely populated. Perhaps we could have a bullet train from Northern cities into London and Edinburgh (starting from the North), but I can't see it having much use otherwise
Oh how I wish trains in the UK ran like this, with those kinds of trains. The Chinese set up is fantastic. I’m guessing the train network is state owned? I know, silly question. Great video Elliot
Construction/ongoing safety, environmental impact assessments/mitigation, higher labour costs and funding are something the West has to factor-in to such a project. China however...
We're not far off. London-Birmingham will be connected by HS2 at some point, assuming it doesn't get cancelled. Don't forget that we went from steam trains to 125mph InterCity services in under 10 years! Incidentally, the train he's riding is not a Chinese design - it's a Chinese build of what was recently added to Eurostar so, in a way, we sort of do have those kinds of trains in the UK. Take a trip to St Pancras next time you're in London.
Absolutely brilliant. I love to fly but only if absolutely necessary; good public transport solutions are so much more comfortable & often with less fuss. If any country can eventually get Hyperloop to work, I think China might be 1st. Just think what it would mean in terms of their export markets alone, never mind international tourism; get on in London or major European capitals, get off in Beijing. Seemless end to end travel.
The maglev is between the Shanghai Airport and Longyang Road Station. I've taken it dozens of times while staying in Shanghai, saving a lot of time from hotel to airport. Also, done the Shanghai to Nanjing many times. I love the fact that it's just walk in, get a ticket, wait for the next train, and get on. Saves tons of time queueing through security lines, plane boarding, push back, waiting on take off, landing, getting a terminal, deboarding, making it through the airport, ... Before 2010 going from Shanghai to Nanjing was either a really long car ride, or hustle and bustle through airport (not to mention the old separate pay airport tax in Yuan, which thankfully is no more.)
@@bugsygoo Ok if you claim it costs a fortune, please write how much does it cost to build in China, how much does it cost to maintain and then compare it to the same cost and transportation capacity of the highways.
@@bugsygoo Ooo dear. I guess there's often a downside to these initiatives. I wonder why it might not be financially sustainable, and how to remedy that.
China has over a 5000 year history. They were the first to discover most things we now take for granted. Their advancement is no surprise. So proud of them. Cheers to China!
Another great video! Thank you, FC. Also, why do some presenters say, "So, that's all we have time for" at the end of their videos? Clearly, it is never the case unless there is some hidden constraint that the viewer is never aware of.
Here in Spain all of the cross country hi-speed trains have to go through Madrid. Valencia to Leon: tack on an hour+ sitting in two different train stations in the capital. A 4 hour ride becomes a 5 to 6 hour one. Here is where short haul flights would come in handy. Both towns I mentioned have good airports. A flight between them would be around 2 hours. Want to travel between the Gandia area and Granada? There is no direction connection. So commuter train from Gandia to Valencia. Hi-speed rail to Madrid. Different hi-speed rail to Cordoba. Different hi-speed rail to Granada. You speed 10+ hours in transit. Or you can do like I did and drive there in 5.5 hours including almost an hour for lunch. With no security hassle or hauling a suitcase around all day.
I've never taken a bullet train or any high speed train before, looks amazing. China should add a network of bullet trains in their global Belt & Road, sponsored by Europe and rich states
China really have this idea,we call it Trans-Asian Railway（TAR），which designed by ESCAP.However, due to complex geopolitical factors, it is difficult to complete.
This is the thing that frustrates me about the debacle that is High Speed 2 - we should be building a network from Scotland and Wales that connects to HS1 and allows through journeys to Europe. There should be NO reason to fly within the UK and to France, Belgium or Holland! We should also electrify all lines (where possible) and remove diesel units of our network....
The British invented the steam trains and I feel ashamed that our railways are so far behind and expensive...when it's cheaper to go via plane than by train then something is wrong
That's what happens when you privatize something, I should know, I'm Norwegian and we followed your model for train travel WHICH WE KNEW DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. (Yes, I'm mad.)
California High Speed Rail and China started at just about the same time to build their HSR in 2008. Today, China has 40,000kms of HSR and California still has to lay a mile of track.
Your US government will tell you because China has no huma rights and they used force labour that is China can built so fast and so good. US is different. Human rights is the priority for the people. They even have the right not to work, live in the tent by the roadside, smoke weed and drink all day. We are democracy, China is communist.
Being able to cover large distance in the convenience of a very fast and comfortable is magnificent. Imagine if some of the freight logistics wild also be taken care of be the bullet train
will not happen.... for people is worth to pay double price if you get to destination in 3 hours and not 12, for freight the 9 hours you save is not worth the double price.
Yes, I often take the high-speed train to transport expensive scientific instruments between Guangzhou and Shanghai, dispatched in the morning and received in the evening
Fascinating. It is very similar if on a smaller scale than what is happening for us in France. When you want to travel between Paris and other major cities in France you don't even think about flying... you take the TGV to Bordeaux, Lyon, Strasbourg or Marseille but also Brussels, Milan.
Great video and thank you for this interesting overview about one of the advanced traffic system. The transrapid SMT system was developed from thyssenkrupp and Siemens in the 70th to 90th, but we Germans were once again too stupid to implement it economically. China (CRRC600) and Japan continues to develop this system. Very good.
Germany is the owner of the maglev patent, so it's easy, after all, Germany cooperates with China to make maglev lines and trains in Germany, at Chinese prices!
I have in the past worked in Shanghai, and on occasion used the maglev, I can understand why it never went beyond the first pilot stage as it is both brilliant and eye watering expensive. So, the Chinese did the next best thing and did the bullet trains. When I was last in Shanghai you could look out if your hotel window in the morning and not be able to see the building across the street, so radical action was needed, and then done. For me, the one technology that may not make the transition is flights. Both batteries and hydrogen look like they are going to add weight, complexity and increased costs, while reducing range and payload to a point that most flying will not be economically viable. So having an established high speed network will be absolutely vital.
Batteries and fuel cells are great when it's too expensive to retrofit the existing rail infrastructure. Starting from scratch it's much better to go pure electric with above power lines.
@@fparent once train lines are built then they have a tendency to last. My local train station opened in 1838 so is rapidly approaching 200 years in operation. Even HS2 is, in reality, just the great central line being reopened. But with extra bits.
Absolutely. If emissions from domestic travel can be reduced via bullet trains (and maybe maglevs) across the world, then the emissions produced by air travel would be limited to international travel - much more supportable by the Earth, giving us time to develop better energy technologies.
Well, im preety happy with our trains in Serbia (EU). Our new trains can speed up to 200km/h and thats more than enought in my opinion. I like to live "slow" and to do not be a "slave of a time".
you missed out something important. you can literally order your mcdonald's meal all from your seat, and have it delivered to you at the very next station. FRESH!
Looks like Elliot has been banned from talking about price-busting($5,000-$25,000), ICE-crushing, too-disruptive Chinese EVs. The West's carmakers, Wall Street and our media only want to talk about evermore expensive, over-elaborate iPhones-on-Wheels / Lounges-on-Wheels packed with micro-chips. Will Elliot only be permitted to talk about electric trains, buses, trucks, boats and planes and expensive electric cars from now on ? Paul G
I've been to China five times, right before covid, they were all about 2 weeks to 2-month stints. I spent most of my time in Guangzhou, but I also travelled to Beijing, Shenzhen and HK, all in subways and bullet trains, without speaking any Mandarin. Guangzhou to Beijing was a 10hour bullet train ride (1200mi), it cost me around $100usd for first class (there are two more expensive options). I never even got into a taxi or Didi (their version of Uber) the whole time I was there. It absolutely blew my mind of how convenient, comfortable, clean and safe the whole system is, China in general. I strongly suggest any Westerner to visit, it will VERY quickly open your eyes as to how fast we're getting left in the dust. Coming back to LA was quite depressing to say the least.
The investment in infrastructure is huge and the returns are slow. Private companies will not do these things. In addition, the land is private, which is not conducive to the construction of high-speed trains in the United States. In addition, airlines will object.
China is public ownership, the United States is private ownership. China's land belongs to the state or collective. We only have the right to use and cannot trade land, so the land will not be concentrated in the hands of a few people. I think the American system must also have advantages or disadvantages. America is a haven for the rich, protecting the interests of the few. These rich people hate public ownership very much. China is actually a mixture of public and private ownership. We also have many problems
@@戚文玮 no place is perfect, that is true. But from what I've seen, the average Chinese person in China seems a lot happier and healthier, what is life without that? Money really isn't everything, especially if you're miserable.
@@2WheelsGood.01 Although I am Chinese, I do not know enough about China, and there are many phenomena that I cannot explain. Or maybe I used to be able to answer and can't now because my brain is forgetting some knowledge.
@@戚文玮 Return of a train of a city is not limit to train tickets. Trades, travel, flow of goods, flow of people, living standards. It is about city planning, not just profit of a private operator. That's why US is planning to pump in lot of money and resources for that. Well, of course, there is always lack of actions other than talks and politics in US.
Trains are infinitely more integral to a renewable and sustainable future than electric cars so I'm so glad you are covering them
I doubt that. Trains haul a lot of unnecessary mass unless they are packed full of passengers. Cars can be 'size appropriate', dispacting only the seats needed.
Plus cars are door to door, making them much more convenient. And they are able to run on demand rather than on fixed schedules.
@@bobwallace9753 I've never seen someone be so delusional to claim it's trains and not cars that are space inefficient. How about when you park your car that's zero use, whereas a train is going all day, mutiple people will use one seat per day.
Convience is nothing to do with sustainability. On demand to one location is inefficient and if you have mass interconnected public transport, bus metro, train, it would pretty much be on demand like an underground where it's literal minutes between trains.
You haven't ever addressed the extra materials required to produce an eletric car and the lithium extraction which is unstainable, whereas trains don't have batteries again saving weight increasing speed and reducing use of natural resources.
@@bobwallace9753 Except all the space needed for car infrastructure. Add to that point that a vast majority of cars carry 1 person at a time most of the time it's driven.
@@Alex-cw3rz
Perhaps I'm delusional.
Perhaps you lack the knowledge necessary to understand what I posted.
Apparently you do not realize how close we are to robotaxis. A single robotaxi should replace five to ten privately owned vehicle and will not sit parked over 90% of the time as happens with privately owned cars.
There are already robotaxis operating on city streets. Tesla is very close to finishing their full self driving system which will bring millions of robotaxis into service.
Have you any train experience? If so, you know that there's a 9 o'clock train, an 11 o'clock train, whatever. That is you fitting to the train schedule. Not the robotaxi fitting itself to your schedule. I've recently ridden trains and subways on two continents and one waits in stations, even for routes with very high usage. I recently needed to move from one side of Italy to the other. There's one bus per day.
Lithium is extremely abundant and with recycling (which is already happening) there will be no lithium problem.
I expect Tesla to produce Cybertaxis. Cast aluminum frames and stainless steel exoskeletons. Design for an easily refurbished interior and you've got a vehicle with a useful lifespan of several decades. LFP batteries are likely to be usable for more than 3M millies before they are recycled.
Have you not ridden on a train, bus, plane, or subway car that had lots of empty seats? I've flown a couple times recently with passenger loads of less than 50%. I've ridden on buses with 10% or less passenger loads. I've ridden on subways with less than 5% loads. That's unnecessary movement of mass. Need to move one person? Dispatch a 1 or 2 passenger robotaxi. Need to move a dozen? Dispatch a 12 or 16 passenger robo-bus, not a 60 passenger bus.
@@ledheavy26
We need that car infrastructure because cars are our 'last mile' technology.
As we move to self-driving cars what we are likely to see on our highways are 'trains' of individual cars traveling at high speeds with almost no distance between them. A string of cars can operate as a 'single organism'. Accelerating, slowing, and stopping as a unit.
Think about a typical four lane highway. The inside lanes filled with vehicles traveling nose to butt at the maximum set speed for that portion of the route. The outside lanes used for vehicles entering and leaving the high speed lane.
A given stretch of rail track is empty most of the time.
As we move to robotaxis we should expect to see single (or two) passenger robos and larger capacity options. The central computer will dispatch the 'best fit' vehicle as needed.
Yes I fully understand what you mean about this train, I have used this train on about half a dozen occasions and omg it's fantastic, I will never forget the time we were in Shenyang train station getting the train to Dalian which is a distance of 238 miles, we got onto the train, found our pre booked seats, we got ourselves settled in sorting out what snacks we had in the bag etc, by the time we sorted ourselves and I looked up out of the window and blimey, we were on the outskirts of Shenyang city ! I was totally gobsmacked because we felt nothing inside the carriage, no sense of movement at all almost totally silent and so smooth, no sensation of speed at all to tell your senses we were moving ! and I can concur about the coin on the window ledge ! Everyone should be able to experience traveling on these amazing trains !
Not in 🇬🇧 I fear as there’s too many objectors to everything. From roads improvements around or under Stone Henge to the Northern high, well for the U.K. high speed line.
SIR THIS NOTHING! CHINA IS VERY POOR COUNTRY! MY INDIA IS BETTER ! 🤗🇮🇳THIS WHY I AM VERY LUCKY AND PROUD TO LIVE IN INDIA 🤗🇮🇳 THE SUPERPOWER RICHEST AND CLEANEST COUNTRY, I CAN'T IMAGINE IF I WAS NOT BORN IN INDIA , WE HAVE TOILETS ANYWHERE , INDIA IS ROLE MODEL COUNTRY TRUST ME 🤗🇮🇳 I KNOW MANY PEOPLE JEALOUS CANT LIVE IN INDIA 🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳
@@indiasuperclean6969 stay off the drugs matey 👏
@@Colin623 I'm from India I think he is trolling. no one can be soo dumb to reply something like that.
@@indiasuperclean6969 india trian look like caterpillar
Having lived and worked in China... It is stunning to see the difference that has happened in 20+ years.
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
@@craigo2656 Oh yay, fake news believer here!
@@craigo2656 how do you detained, housed, fed a million people? the New York Times actually reported a NED subsidiary used one of UN's room to announce its unsubstantiated report. UN quickly disassociated itself from the matter.
Whos this @Craig O? Get out u peasant, people now are awake, unlike u so poor... We hv money to travel to the state of future, China
@@qewfsdsd65445 Genocide.... Really.... Ask the Jews about the real meaning of that word. 5 weeks invasion and suddenly its "genocide" ....... As if the WHOLE of Europe is NOT supporting Russia.... Whilst it buys its gas & petrol every single day....
I traveled from Shanghai to Hangzhou. You can't feel the speed untill another train 🚆 from the other direction passes you super fast. Very comfortable. The station is better than airports
Correction: Shanghai to Beijing is twice the distance compared to San Francisco to Los Angeles
A friend used to work for a consulting firm and there was a particular advice by was it Boeing? to run a smear campaign against Chinese rail networks.
The goal was to sabotage the trust in Chinese rail systems so that Boeing can continue to reap many billions in profits in airplane sales to Chinese airlines.
Fees/"donations" were paid to certain "editors" at major news networks like NYT or CNN or ABC and the smear campaign begun. Thankfully it did not work and the Chinese today have found a much more economical and environmentally friendly way for mass long distance rapid transport/transit.
If you do a search of news articles from these news sources during the period when the high speed rail system was expanding in China in 2008 to 2015 - u will find numerous articles belaboring the same points as part of the smear campaign.
His map of Shanghai location is wrong. D
The fact that China built 38,000 kms of high speed rail in just 14 years is mind blowing!
Shows what can be done with a bit of determination and willpower... and a lot of empty countryside and no regard for nimby's etc :p
@@logicalChimp This is it. We have a lot of NIMBY types
It is because 10 years ago, land and labour is really cheap. but today, things like this will not happen.
@@logicalChimp partly... HSR is often YIMBY, partly because they're compensated for it and the construction is relatively fast. although at times some reluctant parties get forcibly moved anyways, mostly the HSR(and 5G cellular towers) is very much welcomed. the rapid development and connection of all these suburban and rural areas means a LOT more money circulating throughout the entire country(there are many boons to this).
Meanwhile in the UK, HS1 and HS2... 30 years... blah blah blah
I'm from Fiji, had the pleasure of living in China for almost 5 years totally miss the convenience of bullet trains and back to catching cars or flights which seem so archaic for me now
welcome to china again
I'm a Chinese and spent my honey moon in Fiji, beautiful country, I'll visit it again.
FIJI needs to reclaim their bottle water! America is profiting big time from FIJI's natural resources.
What I love the most about these Chinese high-speed railways is, that by design, they never cross with any other infrastructure or anything else. All of the railway is either elevated (on bridge) or in a tunnel. There's no railway crossings for crashes with cars, there's no possibility of stray animals on rails (other than birds), nothing to endanger or be endangered by the train. Safe and always on schedule.
that and the fact they had japanese come in to help with planning and basically where the tech came from ( them and europeans)
@@jimsouthlondon7061 It is precisely because land acquisition is too troublesome that most high-speed rail lines in China use viaducts. If you have taken Chinese trains, you will find that trains do not travel on the ground most of the time
Same in France, TGV lines are never crossed.
@@HarutoIgarashi Land acquisition is still required to build the viaducts. Just as with a railroad ROW at ground level, land must be cleared, houses and buildings in the way must be removed, etc.
@@bidon5037 AFAIK there are still tracks on the terrain level, crossed by pedestrians, animals and possibly farming equipment. I mean TGV is great, but these Chinese ones are on a whole new level
Great Video as always! Do want to point out the comparison is not fair at 6:20, LA to SF is only 614 KM (382 Miles) , while Beijing to Shanghai is 1213 km (753 Miles).
A closer comparison should be from New York to Chicago, which is 1271 KM (790 Miles)
And it looks like London to Barcelona is 1490 km (926 miles). I would think London to Marseille would be a better comparison, 1236 km (768 miles).
@@ScramJett
And it will only took a bit morethan 4 hours to travel
@@jurgenangler5294 yep, in the 200-800 mile range, it really is the best way to travel.
To correct you, the train route from Beijing to Shanghai is actually 1318 km.
Having traveled on many highspeed trains around the world, I can say that China's train system is the best in the world, and by a large margin. Everything you'd want for traveling, it provides in spades, 5/5 stars. It's clean, fast, inexpensive, dependable, timely, very secure (airport level security) and very comfortable. If you're a Chinese citizen, it's almost too simple to get a ticket (online or one of the hundreds vending machines at the station), but if you're a foreigner, it's a bit of a pain and can take a couple hours.
With that said, this awesomeness can't be duplicated by any, if not all, 1st world countries. Why? Because the Chinese government owns everything. They own the trains, the rails, the land and the companies that runs it all. They owned the land before they built the rails on them. There wasn't a legal fight to obtain the land (they did compensate the relocation of those people tho).The airlines didn't lobby to stop the railways because the Chinese government owns the airlines too. The airlines aren't 'struggling' as he mentioned. The airlines and trains are part of the same government branch. It was all planned (quite successfully, btw). It's easy to do something like this, when there's nothing and nobody to stop you.
While it may sound like I'm being negative on this, but if you asked me if I would support the US government to do something similar with the USA rail system, I would say Yes, only hoping the government doesn't F it up like most things.
"but if you're a foreigner, it's a bit of a pain and can take a couple hours."
====> The vending machines don't have English language as an option?
@@ABC-ABC1234 The vending machines are for citizens only. Foreigners must buy tickets at the counter from a person (passport check). Usually there are only 1 or 2 people manning the counters, and it takes about 5 mins per person to buy a ticket. In a large city, there could be a hundred people in line at any given time.
@@k3an-official Why must there be an additional passport check? How are you entering China without a passport? Such unnecessary control! Or at least allow special vending machines for international travelers... That system is really weird. Thank you for the explanation btw =)
@@ABC-ABC1234 I am original from China but hold the foreign passport. China train ticket booking system only allows the
Chinese ID holder to book the ticket on line up to 60 days and get the ticket from the vendor machine on the day of travel, or use the ID card to take the train directly without print the ticket at all. My relative booked the ticket for me using his account with my passport information, but I had to fetch the ticket through the personal service. Last time in 2018, I spent total 10 minutes to get my ticket with 5 persons ahead of me on the line. As my passport was never checked when booking the ticket, the person checked my passport and issued the ticket to me. My name and last 3 digits of passport number were printed on the ticket too.
California has been F-ing it up for the high speed rail; it's going to cost over $100 BILLION, more than double the original budget and it's taking like half a century to build! Ugh!
Even if there were no security checks in airports, the trains are often faster because the stations tend to be in city centres, but you need to get to/from the airport on each end. Edinburgh city centre to London city centre, even with slow UK trains is already around the same time on the train vs a plane
And with airports you need to check in 1 hour in advance then there's the time spent on the runway. Cost of a ticket isn't cheap and you still get charged for luggage quantity and weight
I think the highspeed trains are great but they are not located in city centers. These rail lines has several rails parallel to each other on concrete beds. And with trains traveling on them at high speed, you can see why they don't cut through Chinese cities. They are way more spacious and comfortable than planes though. Less vibration and no dry mouth from thin air. I rode the Harmony line from Shanghai to Beijing in 2017 and it was the best long-haul travel experience I ever had.
@@kevinc1200 In Europe most intercity stations are either in or near the centre, and in any case are joined to the commuter network of trains and buses. In the mid-90s I found I could bet from my office in Soho in London to the centre of Paris about an hour faster than a colleague by air! I checked some time tables recently and found I could get to Barcelona with only one stop, as there is a direct connection from Paris. London for Breakfast and Barcelona for Lunch!
"Slow UK trains" .... lol ...... try Australia, where coverage is scarce and in some cases trains can be slower than the bus. (Canberra-Sydney, Brisbane-Toowoomba)
The Eurostar is quicker to Paris for me too even though it's slower ;o)
It's much quicker for me to get to St Pancras than it is to any of the main London airports (I can get to the Docklands one much quicker but flights re REALLY expensive), I've managed to make the train arriving there 15 mins before it leaves and Gard de Nord is in a much better part of Paris for me as I'm usually visiting Montmartre which is a 20-30 min walk away.
Another benefit of the trains... they're much quieter and more relaxing.
140 km in 30 minutes??? I have a friend who lives that far away and it's a 2 hour drive to visit her! To be able to hop on a train and visit her in 30 minutes? Without dealing with traffic, and with the ability to relax and snack on the way??
Sadly, I live in the US and this won't happen in my lifetime....if ever
The problem is with those petro companies. They will not allow anything that compete with them. So gas, gas and gas…until everyone get fed up and throw them out for good.
you can order fast food on the train and have it delivered to you by the hostess on the next stop.
@@tellthetruth5699 is good that China don't really have oil, they have to import a lot, no one will cry they lose profits if the oil get phased out.
@@johnsmith-cw3wo China has lots of oil actually.
@@kristoffer3000 way less that it consume.
I love the bullet train system. Been in China for 5 years, and it never ceases to amaze me. I wish the US would have adopted this years ago when we had the chance.
@Dennisestrada You're in your own seat with plenty of spaces travelling automatically with services at 300-350 km / hr ... or you can drive by yourself at 100-150 km per hour with the higher chance of car accidents and traffic jams.
@Dennisestrada "I don't live in NY or LA" ok that's great for you but many people do live in major cities. In fact, 83% of Americans live in urban areas. Also, just because you have no reason to "travel across the country" (why would you do that by rail anyways) doesn't mean other people don't have reasons to travel between two cities on a daily basis. Imagine NY to DC or LA to San Fran.
Your worldview is too narrow because you put your own life experience at the center of policy making, which is flawed and very short sighted.
But if you wanna cope that's understandable. Meanwhile, China will keep developing its massive rail network.
@Dennisestrada Keep huffing that copium if it helps you sleep at night
@@sleepyjoe4529 Exactly!! Bullet trains are need of the hour.
@Dennisestrada everything is not for profit. Ever heard of public good. America use to do it for TVA for electricity down in the south
I think you're wrong. That's not a little step it's a huge leap forward. I wonder if you could compute if most travel within 200 miles were made on train instead of any other vehicle what the savings would be in terms of CO2. I think it would be much larger than most of us have the ability to imagine. In this case China is beyond the world leader. It is a light to the world.
Japan was way ahead with the speed train network.
@@830118 yes but it was before China of today
Yeah but Japans rail network never grew anywhere nears fast as chinas or as efficiently.
You know, I was thinking the same, but then I realized it’s a question of expectations. With respect to what China wants to achieve, it is baby steps. But compared to our expectations in the west, it feels like giant leaps because our politicians subject us to insane bureaucracy that waste both time and money all to preserve the status quo.
Most politicians would just dismiss it as “this is just how democracy works,” but I have a hard time believing that when clear majorities want high speed rail but it takes literal decades just to build a single 80 mile line (let alone thousands of miles). I think it has more to do with the large sums of money they get from the oil/gas industry.
China imports a lot of fossil fuels so it’s in their best interest to use less and eventually chuck it all. Plus, they don’t have a 100 year old fossil fuel industry that has taken nearly full control of their political process.
It’s just too bad that China is an autocratic surveillance state.
@@ScramJett I think 90% of our negative understanding of China’s political system, came from our media trying to deflect the flaws of our own political structure. But who knows, time will tell, I know many countries outside the west actually think USA is the true bully and dictator of the world that involved in almost every wars.. it’s all depends on angles.
I never reallized that the high speed rail only produces 1/20 CO2 compared with air plan does. As an engineer, this is almost equal to ZERO CO2 emissions. Thanks for the information and education.
There's a reason why Boeing and their business consultants pay American news networks to censor this type of information.
This is the problem of oligarch owned media companies with no democratic oversight or transparent editorial processes
That is only if the train is full. In the video it looked like there were only 6 people in the compartment. That was what, about 20% capacity? The empty seats still generate that co2. 🤫
@@kevinpowers3815 first class usually have less people and it's during covid, in normal times it's much fuller
@@WyvernApalis I am absolutely for reducing environmental impact. I only want truthful facts. Don't say one thing and display another. If it is truly an improvement, show that. We, as a world, have enough lies from our "leaders". Let's set a better example. Sorry....
@@kevinpowers3815 Well, many regional air lines often fly with half empty plane.
I've had very positive experience with traveling on the bullet trains between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, shorter trips that would have absolutely taken longer via car or plane. Travelling Business Class (Which is like First Class on a flight) was very comfortable, the service was exceptional and the fares very reasonably priced.
I am very envious. I have seen much of the world in my working life as an airline pilot. I've seen a different world mostly from 35,000 ft and enjoyed every minute. I retire a few years ago and had planned to see that same world from a different angle, the train. I achieved one trip around Taiwan which included the High speed train from Kaohsiung to Taipei, loved it...........then the virus arrived and the mainland China network is on hold. Soon I will join you.
any update now?
Trains get to the centre of the city and don’t require waiting for boarding etc. huge win right there.
Communist Party dictats.
@@Musketeer009 Licorice bamboo combustion.
I think that’s what he’s talking about..Even though the aeroplane takes 2 hours and the train takes 4 hours for the same journey… The total travel time with the faffing around on the plane makes it quicker on the train.
actually most new high speed doesn't link into the centre, most goes up to the suburbs where it eventually becomes the new center.
reason? Cost.... going into the city is extremely annoying and costly, so if they could they would avoid it. case study: Shin-Osaka SKS station.
@@PrograError Yes and no. Technically most lines don't go to the center but they're all connected by a metro line that goes directly to the center -- so it's still fast enough/clolse enough to be considered "connected to the center core"
I always feel suffocating flying, but riding bullet train in China give you excitement feeling.
train give u more scenery views
I was unfortunate enough to sit near a middle aged fat man who let loose his gas way too often, probably liver failure, anyways it was a horrible experience. Boring too, because I've already watched all of those same movies a million times while traveling across the country..not to mention the occasional turbulences, really makes you stressed.
@@ben8718 can you image sitting in the middle of two fat ladies in coach class? 😝
I hate flights
My heart is begging for a system like this in the United States. As somebody who cannot drive, it would be so much better to take this to see my relatives rather than having to worry about a plane ticket, security, uneven jet bridges that could cause me to fall… You get the point. :-)
GOP will never propose anything that means progress, but will fight to the death anything those 'dem commies' put forward.
@Hurt each other Macon I know the railways are owned primarily by private companies stateside, and as far as operating at a loss, I’m not up on current infrastructure law and history to know. That having been said, I’m an optimist and things can always change. Especially if more people desire it.
But it should also be affordable
@@crytow5071 but Amtrak is not high speed through the whole country. The lines are also not all electric. Many if not most are diesel. The lines were not designed for high speed rail traffic (e.g. 150-200mph), and in some areas (like where I am), there’s no direct connection to the rail network, instead you need to take a bus for the first leg.
@@crytow5071 this is what happens when one forgets emoji 😜 lol
Absolutely phenomenal the pace & breadth of that change in Chinese Railways. We take decades to deliver a single high speed line.
Canada here, expanding a slow subway line, 7.9 KM, and it's gonna take 8 BLOODY years to finish if everything goes SMOOTHLY, u know what I mean, if it can finish within 10 years, thats gonna be a MIRACLE!
Agree 100%
@@_seola_ you've Forgot to say cost overrun. Starting costs is one then After years of delays and cost overruns. Price went 5 to 10x from original cost! Remember stadium in CANADA Montreal it started with 111millions then 20 years later end up 1.5Billions and counting! That's how good is Capitalism with building of public projects. Massive frauds after frauds, where no one get prosecuted for fraudulent crimes.
@@momcilopucar8749 Well, u have added another BIG REASON for future DELAYS >
@@_seola_ This is terrible. I don't think it is necessary to build it at this speed.
I recently returned to England having lived in the Middle East and America for 26 years. Agreeing with Elliott, I was staggered at not only the cost of rail travel here, but how little the technology has advanced.
Sadly the main government in power in the UK considered rail to be near communist so hence no investment. Now its embarassed its fallen so far behind Europe. So now it has to invest vastly more taxpayer billions to add one hsr line than just hoping the network investment would come from private capital.
HA! Wait till you see the costs of the fare for the never-to-be-fully-built HS2!
@@archstanton5973 I blame NIMBYs
@@stephendoherty8291
Damn right, why the fuck would you want free healthcare and cheap rail? Commie nonsense, nothing speaks better than good ol' Capitalism making its buck so that you and your family gets the privilege of working under a rich man so you can live on another day, you should be thankful you even is considered employable with those nasty views of yours.
@@موسى_7 common law needs to be abolished
I also took a train from Shanghai to Guangzhou and it took around 6 hours. But it's way better than a 6 hour flight. Lots of more space, great views from the windows, and you can stretch outside in between stops. And you're directly in the centre of the city most of the times!
That train is cruising at about 185mph, No where in the west does that happen. China is leaving the west behind and will be fully renewable energy before the west .
That is not true. Our AVE trains here in Spain do the same. The TGV network in France (it is called something else now) is also on par with that. There is simply no space to have really long distance, the countries are to small. They are working in Barcelona_Paris as extension from Madrid-Barcelona. Also Madrid-Barcelona-London (they are thinking of 5h BCN-LDN) but the British have a problem on there side of the tunnel, the high speed train line between St. Pancras and the tunnel can go only 40mph, needing for the 70mi nearly 2h, about the same time you need to go the 360mi between Madrid and Barcelona.
I think you might mean, nowhere in the United States does that happen…
@@chrisspain did you last get the Eurostar in 1999 when it had to use the third-rail infrastructure into waterloo!?
@@edc1569 The Eurostar is not part of long distance high speed rail. You always have to change trains. The proposed link to London is not stopping in Paris. It would go thru but is not being built for several, political, reasons. One, the British side, two the speed in the tunnel, 3, border issues since Brexit (borders, in 2022, really?) 4, missing money from the EU in Britain thanks to Brexit, and they do not have any money of course. Britain wants air, international and domestic, trains tickets cost a fortune there, you can fly cross country for the price of a parking ticket in London.
@@chrisspain Spain's high-speed infrastructure funds came from other countries' taxpayers. Imagine thinking that taking other countries' tax money is ok in 2022.
I’m so lucky, both you and Simon Clark have put train content on RUclips today.
This is THE BEST long term transportation method for sustainability, period. Thank you for highlighting this.
Very true. We still have to convince politicians and hush the car industry into an appropriate niche. No easy task.
@@achenarmyst2156 the oil & gas industry is the biggest problem right now. They need to go extinct sooner rather than later, and they know that, which is why they are fighting back so hard. It often feels like one small step forward and two giant leaps backwards.
@@ScramJett Capitalism is the biggest problem, the lobbying is just a symptom.
Haha I did not expect to see my name here, I just did the mother of all double takes
@@kristoffer3000 specifically, finance capitalism. The form of capitalism that emphasizes profit rather than productivity.
Very true, flight just cannot compete with high speed railway in China.
Depending on distance, below 800km surely train is better, higher than 1200km surely plane is better. 800-1200, both are fine
My late father would have been so proud. I can imagine the big smile on his face as he sees this train glide into the station.
I am sure he would.
I believe he will, too, my friend.
Such a well scripted, researched and filmed video. Thank you. Points well made and very interesting.
Apart from Robert, Elliott is the stand out presenter, while giving a glimpse behind the Chinese curtain.
add to that "well produced" and "well soundtracked" :-)
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
No mention of the enormous, troublesome debt as result of many of these bullet train lines?
@Lighthouse Saunders when governments invest in infrastructure, the services rarely, if ever, make any money. but this is by design. the benefit provided to civilians by means of decreased effective distance and logistics means that governments are willing to lose millions on infrastructure if it means that it will allow for development elsewhere.
After last week's tragic 737 crash in China, this really is looking like the safe and green mass transportation option of the future.
Airplanes are the safest form of transportation on the planet, but their insecurity is magnified by artificial panic because of the extremely high death rate in plane crashes. Last week's accident is indeed very sad, but before that, China's civil airline industry had been operating for more than 4,000 days without any accident, which is unimaginable for vehicles.
@@zhuiexciheddy75 Yes. Valid points. I don't doubt what you say in regards to safety statistics for air travel. But, here in the US, we've allowed passenger rail travel to deteriorate dramatically since the mid 20th century and flying is the only real option we have for medium to long haul mass transportation. I'm envious of countries who have developed modern high speed rail systems, while we have doggedly insisted on ignoring it. Beyond the fact that air travel is going to be the more environmentally dirtier form of transportation for a very long time, it's also not exactly the most pleasant way to get around.
@@benjaminnead8557 there is no reason that air travel should be so dirty if they invested as much into research in the aviation industry as they have blown on building HSR. Look at China. State rail company that owns all the HSR lines and stock is USD850B in debt.
@@rjbiker66 I'm optimistic that electric aviation will be viable someday. Solid state batteries will certainly help. But we're not there yet. Maybe in another 10 or 15 years before it can seriously make a dent in fossil fuel commercial aviation.
Meanwhile, passenger rail in the US has been so decimated that we're not going to catch up with the Chinese anytime soon there, so don't worry. There's also a lot of NIMBYism here when it comes to mapping out new routes. We're probably going to be limited to regional project and trains in the Acela class. Or we get distracted with stuff like Hyperloop.
@@benjaminnead8557 Electric aviation is not possible. Green hydrogen planes could be an option.
I recently(ish) had the opportunity to compare the same trip by three different transport modes: Zhengzhou to Beijing by plane, bus and bullet train. The plane was, by just over 30 minutes, the fastest way to travel between the airports.... but most of that 30 minutes was lost getting from the middle of Zhengxhou to the airport way out of town (in a car, on toll roads). The plane was also by far the most expensive option. By bus... well... probably the less said about that the better TBH. The actual city-to-city time ended up being around 12 hours, 6 of which were stuck in traffic jams around the toll booths. The Chinese have a "unique" approach to motorway etiquette which doesn't help... With the bus, having arrived "somewhere in Beijing", I still needed a 30 minute taxi ride to get to the airport for my onward flight. The train.... 2h30m from city-centre to city-centre. Yes, there was an additional 20ish IIRC minutes getting from the Beijing station to the airport, but the comfortable journey preceding that more than made up for it. The train was more expensive than the bus, but not by much - and the comfort factor more than made up for the slight price difference. Unlike Elliot, I slummed it in second class - and frankly, it was easily better than the equivalent UK "standard" class, not quite as good as UK first class, but up there for sure.
TL;DR: Take the bullet train if you're going to be travelling around China - even if you're going very long distances. You'll save massive amounts of money compared to the planes, you'll have decent legroom and comfort, and the chances are you'll be nearer where you actually want to be when you arrive.
One thing I would point out: Unlike Elliot's experience, whenever I've travelled on the bullet trains, I've had to book a seat in advance (way in advance if travelling during Spring or Autumn festivals), and there's plenty of metal detectors/scanners/security to go through to get into the terminal. Not as bad as the airport, but definitely leave enough time to queue to go through the scanners.
I've seen videos trying to discredit the trains of China but I knew better. Of course, large projects has large potential for problems but high speed train easily beats plane and passenger vehicles multiple times in value. Oh, the leg room and window size, no pressurized cabin, uggh..many more
@Pluto Voltaire exactly.
Great video !! I always love new technology updates and China is definitely a leader in that sector.
Watching this in New Zealand as we have no pedestrian trains between citys just cargo trains. There used to be but no longer so instead there's thousands of pickups and V8s with 1 person in them clogging the roads..... we don't even have dual lane roads between citys either, just what most would call back roads so 300km takes around 5 hours 😒
I'm a New Zealander living in China, and New Zealand's public transport is disgusting. Buses here in Shenzhen are all electric, in New Zealand they're petrol powered, here the buses come every five minutes, in NZ you might get two an hour, here the buses are cheap just 2元 less than $0.50 NZD to go as far as you want, in NZ they're expensive and you pay per "stage".
Fully electric taxi's everywhere here.
Brilliant subway system.
Awesome high-speed train system.
And a rapid transition to electric vehicles, only Norway is doing better. I'm hoping to get my own electric car this year.
@@Enoch-Root Your point is well taken but Kiwi's didn't patronise the passenger train network in sufficient numbers apart from @ holiday times which is why the service was withdrawn; it was a (massive) loss making service for (decades) & to be fair, it was very slow.
Aotearoa's population is too small to support the kind of public bus network you discuss in your comment thus the low frequency rate for intercity & rural communities services. I used to take the bus from Whangarei to Kaeo, just north of Kerikeri when @ boarding school; it took 4 hours one way & was rarely full, although very reliable.
Whilst eventually Kiwi bus services will have to go fully EV, it's a massive ask for services that must struggle to make a profit, expensive tickets or otherwise; most of the places they service are one man & his dog - 2 dogs if you're lucky.
Roads are too hilly & twisty turney for dual carriageways & even if it were possible to install them, traffic numbers just wouldn't support the astronomical investment required in such a small country with such a small population. You can drive for hours outside of urban centres and barely see another vehicle other than at holiday times.
@@pinkelephants1421 I'm talking about the bus service within Auckland. It's slow, infrequent, and expensive. And people do make the excuse that not enough people uses the buses, and I'd say it's because of the above reasons. If it was faster, more frequent and significantly cheaper then a city like Auckland has enough population that if you can provide a service which is significantly better than driving your own car, it could work... But at this point it would have to be unbelievably better to convince people to stop driving, even with the raise in petrol prices I've been hearing about.
@@Enoch-Root Fair enough. It used to be a lot better in Auckland but even I used to drive when living there so I've no excuse.
Thank you for covering this topic! Fortunately the same thing is happening in Europe, albeit slower. France has even gone so far as banning local short-haul flights for any journey that can be made within an hour and a half, replacing them with code-shared train journeys - most people already choose the train ahead of a plane anyway for such journeys because it's a much nicer experience than flying. Rail is still energy efficient and able to prove itself as an important transportation technology, and more investment should be made to modernise rail freight as it's still underutilised.
Bring high speed rail to North America!
Great video.
Another Western video about the fantastic achievements of China...
Killer content, brilliant journalism!
Yay China. Totalitarian regime, yay! More coal power stations than any country in the world, yay! 1,000,000 Uyghurs in prison camps. yay! Political prisoners and re-education camps, yay! Direct aim to remove democracy across the world, yay! The most inhuman future for the entire human race imaginable, yay!
Yea, fresh and honest compare to the mainstream political biases garbage that get pass off as journalism.
The most comfortable ride from Beijing to Shanghai for me. Efficient checkin system and always on time. And the best of it all, you have room to move about!
Electric transport systems like bullet trains are easy to make green - they automatically become greener as the grid does. Also, most people travel during the day when the grid has a larger mix of solar. Furthermore, you can choose to slow them down at times of peak demand on the grid, to avoid pollution from peaker plants. Train stations are good places to install solar panels and batteries too.
And I would add, installing solar panels above the tracks. There's a lot of nice real estate there.
You can also plan routing so the right of way can be used for transmission infrastructure. Imagine the green generated energy running in massive cables under or along side the maglev tracks.
@@jafajustanotherfrustrateda8935 That one needs to be investigated deeper. I remember the case when trolleybus line was denied extension because it would have to run along high voltage powerline, and would potentially create issues. Something about how electro-magnetic fields work.
@@jur4x yes that I do understand. I was of course thinking that with the cooling needed for maglev coils they could share the cooling system with the power grid. That would allow superconducting on the power system but curving the power lines magnetic field is indeed an interesting technical problem. Since maglev requires magnetic fields to be precisely managed maybe they could time the transmission system to work in harmony with it. Hum I'll think more on it.
Also, electric transport systems usually have an energy recovery system, so in China, when the HSR train goes from the west (mountainous area, high altitude) to the east (coastal area, low altitude), the energy consumption is quite low.
Wow! China is just next level!
soon my country is also going to have a bullet train route. Built in partnership with China.
I like Elliot's scope of vision here. The importance of high speed rail in green tech may not be immediately obvious, but he's absolutely right. Well played, sir.
The high speed trains in China are great, comfortable(LOTS of legspace), clean, fast and reliable.
I loved traveling with the high speed trains in China it is so much better than the plane AND also better than travelling by car.
When I compare this to today here in the Netherlands, in the news "all train traffic stops because of a computer error, thousands of passengers stuck" btw these trains here are NOT high speed.
Did the computer crashed at train controller station? 😂
Quality content👍, tbh I think you are doing a “Communist propaganda” in some people’s eyes lol
Yeah, these Chinese episodes from Eliot indeed are delightful. Wish he said a bit more about that bamboo forest.
@@hershchat what does that make you then?
@@sophisticatedthumb5364 sophisticated thumb 😄
@@hershchat showing my ignorance here, but what’s a Chinese ‘atooge ‘ ?
@@andyphillips7435 😍 I can’t soell!
@@hershchat You enjoy public humiliation?
the UK is being left in the dark by every developed nation, grinding to a halt with the worst condition roads/rail network of any cash rich country and doing nothing about it. videos like this give me hope, just wish the people in charge would watch and learn FAST. must visit china some day, they are miles ahead with this and even electric cars.
One word: Privatisation
Um - have you been to the US lately?
They were able to develop in the past that is because they have stolen $$$trillions from all the countries they have forced to colonise. Today they cannot steal like before and they like poor beggar with no money to build new or upgrade their infrastructures.
Oh don't worry. No matter how far the UK gets left behind, the US will inevitably be even farther behind. We basically only have a VERY few cities with a comprehensive mass transit system and nothing nationally
@@hengongchua6250 oh they are still stealing.
I think like 7 billion from the Afghan population while their economy collapses and Europe is forced to buy expensive LNG from the US now instead of cheap pipeline national gas
Awesome report. I love the idea of being able to get around on trains and limiting domestic air travel. Of course it's almost impossible to get around West Texas, where I live, without a car. I think they are on to something. 🙂
I thought many US country pumpkins still preferred to ride horses or drive pickup truck.
@@hengongchua6250 they don’t they are indoctrinated into accepting less options
China made the right call using high speed trains on steel wheels instead of maglev. There was a huge debate on the technology in early 2000s, and they correctly decided on using trains on steel wheels because
1. they are interoperable with ordinary rails, so high speed *trains* can serve the whole nation even where there is no HSR, and can piece-by-piece build HSRs over the years to improve on speed. also, this allows terminating trains to use ordinary rails to reach city centre, while trains passing through can stop at the suburban station before continuing to another city without slowing down
2. they don't need to rely on proprietary technology, and now, 15 years later, China is exporting trains internationally. that could never happen if China relies on Germany's Transrapid for each new maglev trains
also, would like to point out a few things.
1:55 i think you meant Beijing, not Shanghai
also the two footages at 2:08 and 2:11 are filmed in Hong Kong's KCR network around the 1980s, not on China Railway. Most of CR's railway network was not electrified in the 80s, which makes the HSR an even bigger upgrade
China are developing their own MAGLEV trains actually, they're currently in the early testing phases of one that'll do 1000km/h.
CHINA'S infrastructure is beyond any boundaries.
That amazing infrastructure keep CHINA On top of every country.
❤️❤️🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🙏🙏🙏
Isn't it sad that the country that invented the train has let it's rail network fall apart and only now are they moving into highspeed trains.
this is a history of shame, chinese will prove that they are hardest people in the world
China also produces the most EV's in the world. So 2/3 of those transportation systems are being led by China on green energy front. All the while, USA keeps saying China produces the CO2 emissions of any country.... Well, thats because USA exported all its manufacturing to China!! I'd like to see USA keep its emissions down while producing everything as well
I really respect chinese people !
however the Chinese don't respect technology. you'll see in the news.
When it comes to train systems here in the US we are still in the horse and buggy age. It is redicilous that just about every major European country has a bullet train, in the US NONE. Only California is even building one all be it way over budget and way behind schedule. Pretty paretic.
The problem is government. They've made such rail advances so ridiculously expensive they're out of reach.
@@jamesengland7461 Our gov. it the biggest hinderance to just about everything we try to do here. I had a friend that lost his house in the LA fires a few years ago. It took 2 and a half years to get the permits and a year to build the house. WTF, there was a house there before the fire, why can't the gov. just say put it back with out all the BS.
@@stevelaminack1516 aww man, I'm sorry to hear that. What a heartbreaking experience for your friend :(
Our Chinese company was going to build high speed train for your country but politics make it fail.
@@Danielzsy That is to bad. That is what I think. It's obvious we the US can't do it so get the Chinese, Germans, French some country that has done it.
The train you were on is a CRH380B or CRH380BL which derives from ICE3 train from Germany. It has been in operation for almost a decade. Maybe next time you can try the 复兴号 'The Renaissance', the local produced next generation high-speed train. However, the continuous Covid resurgences nationwide may long postpone your next trip.
闲的蛋疼
Such a forward thinking country.
It's crazy to think about where your channel started and where it is now.
You are so ahead of everyone !!! I wish all media could be that forward !
So important that The UK Green Party gets behind HS2 rather than griping about it.
They suspect HS2 to be planned as an airport shuttle. Moreover the projected track is cutting through several protected areas.
Although always an advocate of high speed trains I understand their hesitation.
Good reporting :)
The change is incredible … I was in China in 2018… traveling in a regular train to my wife’s hometown.. now there’s a high speed train that goes 300km/h + in the same route
Here are some mind blowing statistics:
Total HSR network in China alone is 40000km, with another 30000km still under construction. In comparison, there is only 26000km globally outside China.
I was always convinced that trains are the only way of truly sustainable long distance travel. If Western democracies really conceive themselves as having a superior system compared to China they should massively expand their bullet train tracks and high speed lines!!!
@Harry Groundwater Framce, Germany, and every democracy which doesn't speak English has.
@@موسى_7 Most non-English-speaking democracies do not have sufficient high speed rail. There are a few exceptions, Germany and France, as you mentioned, and - to a certain extent - Benelux, Italy and Spain.
Ive been to China, Japan , and many european countries and tried the high speed train .
just for informations , China bought so many best thing from everywhere , in Shanghai Maglev train it was Germany siemens technology. in Shanghai metro Line 1 it was American Westinghouse system , I took cable car in Huangshan mountain in China it was built by Swiss company.
China CHR hi speed train system use a lot if France technology too.
remember the Beiiing olympic stadiums ? the bird nest , the aquatic etc ? the architec were from world known companies from foreign countries.
they have the money and they have the political will ...thats the best of China
Im Indonesian , we are building high speed train together with yhe Chinese now . its a fair and open tender , the participant were from Japan, France, Germany too but the winner is Chinese company
@@M_Jono Instead of pursuing a decoupling and hostile policy, we need to complement each other and work for joint progress for a Win-Win Cooperation.
Western democracies are inferior to china it’s obvious.
One of my favourite Fully Charged episodes to date. I was on a bullet train in Japan a few years ago, and they definitely are the future. Great work, Elliot.
I don't know how they're so cheap in China though.
The biggest criticism of bullet trains in Japan is just how expensive they are
@@waqasahmed939 Subsidized and low average wages, maybe? Could also be that demand makes up for much of the income - there are more than a billion people in China after all.
@@waqasahmed939 land acquisition is the 70% of the cost so
@@waqasahmed939 I think it’s not cheap，but china have enough people and land to build it
@@yang676 That's a fair point. Land is huge premium in small countries, and especially in Japan where they've got a fairly large population where they can't even use all of their land
Perhaps a bullet train would also work in the US, given the sheer availability of land. The US is a weird place for land prices. Some places, it is insanely cheap and some places it is insanely expensive. I imagine that they would sorta cancel out and give them a fairly cost efficient way of travelling
In Western Europe, we're fairly densely populated. Perhaps we could have a bullet train from Northern cities into London and Edinburgh (starting from the North), but I can't see it having much use otherwise
Oh how I wish trains in the UK ran like this, with those kinds of trains. The Chinese set up is fantastic. I’m guessing the train network is state owned? I know, silly question.
Great video Elliot
You have to know the population is not enough to cover the cost
Construction/ongoing safety, environmental impact assessments/mitigation, higher labour costs and funding are something the West has to factor-in to such a project. China however...
Sometimes profit, especially measured quarter to quarter, might not be the best system to encourage human development. Who knew?
State owned and fast running out of money. It's an insanely stupid network.
We're not far off. London-Birmingham will be connected by HS2 at some point, assuming it doesn't get cancelled. Don't forget that we went from steam trains to 125mph InterCity services in under 10 years!
Incidentally, the train he's riding is not a Chinese design - it's a Chinese build of what was recently added to Eurostar so, in a way, we sort of do have those kinds of trains in the UK. Take a trip to St Pancras next time you're in London.
What a beautiful video! Been watching train content in China for years and it's always just so... interesting how different it is!
Absolutely brilliant. I love to fly but only if absolutely necessary; good public transport solutions are so much more comfortable & often with less fuss.
If any country can eventually get Hyperloop to work, I think China might be 1st. Just think what it would mean in terms of their export markets alone, never mind international tourism; get on in London or major European capitals, get off in Beijing. Seemless end to end travel.
@BullShark Oh, that interesting. Why do you say that.
Hyper loop lol 😂
Maglevs didn’t work for China
hyperscam
Hyperloop is never going to happen, it's a scam and maglev existing technology is same speed as "hyper loop"
The maglev is between the Shanghai Airport and Longyang Road Station. I've taken it dozens of times while staying in Shanghai, saving a lot of time from hotel to airport. Also, done the Shanghai to Nanjing many times. I love the fact that it's just walk in, get a ticket, wait for the next train, and get on. Saves tons of time queueing through security lines, plane boarding, push back, waiting on take off, landing, getting a terminal, deboarding, making it through the airport, ... Before 2010 going from Shanghai to Nanjing was either a really long car ride, or hustle and bustle through airport (not to mention the old separate pay airport tax in Yuan, which thankfully is no more.)
Is does sound amazing. 431 kmh is over 267mph. That's pretty quick!
Glad you like it, because it's costing a fortune to keep going. It's a financial black hole!
@@bugsygoo Ok if you claim it costs a fortune, please write how much does it cost to build in China, how much does it cost to maintain and then compare it to the same cost and transportation capacity of the highways.
@@teranova5566 Sorry, how high do you want me to jump? Unfortunately I'm not in the habit of taking orders from nasty little pos.
@@bugsygoo Ooo dear. I guess there's often a downside to these initiatives. I wonder why it might not be financially sustainable, and how to remedy that.
Thank you for skipping the FC live show ad this time! I always thought it took away from the first impression of the video.
China has over a 5000 year history. They were the first to discover most things we now take for granted. Their advancement is no surprise. So proud of them. Cheers to China!
now if only their feelings towards humanity advanced too
The trains in China are especially better/quicker because you don't have to go through check-in
The price is cheaper then here in Serbia lol
The train is always on time and it is clean and smooth and fast ofc.
Well done love these China reports. keep up the good work
Another great video! Thank you, FC. Also, why do some presenters say, "So, that's all we have time for" at the end of their videos? Clearly, it is never the case unless there is some hidden constraint that the viewer is never aware of.
Here in Spain all of the cross country hi-speed trains have to go through Madrid. Valencia to Leon: tack on an hour+ sitting in two different train stations in the capital. A 4 hour ride becomes a 5 to 6 hour one. Here is where short haul flights would come in handy. Both towns I mentioned have good airports. A flight between them would be around 2 hours. Want to travel between the Gandia area and Granada? There is no direction connection. So commuter train from Gandia to Valencia. Hi-speed rail to Madrid. Different hi-speed rail to Cordoba. Different hi-speed rail to Granada. You speed 10+ hours in transit. Or you can do like I did and drive there in 5.5 hours including almost an hour for lunch. With no security hassle or hauling a suitcase around all day.
I've never taken a bullet train or any high speed train before, looks amazing. China should add a network of bullet trains in their global Belt & Road, sponsored by Europe and rich states
China really have this idea,we call it Trans-Asian Railway（TAR），which designed by ESCAP.However, due to complex geopolitical factors, it is difficult to complete.
The USA could never build a sustained project on this scale as its political system does not allow for it as everything gets gridlocked.
Ten quid for a first class ticket for the same distance from Bristol to London, which can cost hundreds.
Shame he didn’t show you the business class which is better than first class, do a search on RUclips, absolute dream!!
Great episode and great production quality!
This is the thing that frustrates me about the debacle that is High Speed 2 - we should be building a network from Scotland and Wales that connects to HS1 and allows through journeys to Europe.
There should be NO reason to fly within the UK and to France, Belgium or Holland!
We should also electrify all lines (where possible) and remove diesel units of our network....
very well said
Brilliant episode, Elliot. Ditch Robert and the rest of the team, because you're obviously under appreciated. 😋
I love to taking trains, more comfortable then planes and less stressful then taking a car ;-)
The British invented the steam trains and I feel ashamed that our railways are so far behind and expensive...when it's cheaper to go via plane than by train then something is wrong
That's what happens when you privatize something, I should know, I'm Norwegian and we followed your model for train travel WHICH WE KNEW DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. (Yes, I'm mad.)
But Norway is wealthy, so I'm sure you guys can get another HSR started.
I need the US to start developing bullet train infrastructure
California High Speed Rail and China started at just about the same time to build their HSR in 2008. Today, China has 40,000kms of HSR and California still has to lay a mile of track.
Brilliant!! And soooo cheap!! Could we have those in UK please!!!! And at that price!!
Exactly. The ticket was ten quid for a first class ticket the same distance as London to Bristol!
Elliot is one of my favorite RUclipsrs, every single video was full of amzing contents and professionally produced! Keep you the good work, Elliot!
Agree 99%
Kind of interesting, as far as I know North America does not have one bullet train in 2022 and none in the near future.
Your US government will tell you because China has no huma rights and they used force labour that is China can built so fast and so good. US is different. Human rights is the priority for the people. They even have the right not to work, live in the tent by the roadside, smoke weed and drink all day. We are democracy, China is communist.
Elliott is brilliant. Love this informative video.
That coin thing is impressive!
China amazes me every day and US sanctions it? For growing to fast?
The US is terrified because their global stranglehold is starting to slip.
Being able to cover large distance in the convenience of a very fast and comfortable is magnificent. Imagine if some of the freight logistics wild also be taken care of be the bullet train
will not happen.... for people is worth to pay double price if you get to destination in 3 hours and not 12, for freight the 9 hours you save is not worth the double price.
There are cargo services on high speed trains, most of them are for time-sensitive parcels.
Yes, I often take the high-speed train to transport expensive scientific instruments between Guangzhou and Shanghai, dispatched in the morning and received in the evening
Fascinating. It is very similar if on a smaller scale than what is happening for us in France. When you want to travel between Paris and other major cities in France you don't even think about flying... you take the TGV to Bordeaux, Lyon, Strasbourg or Marseille but also Brussels, Milan.
For me, france was and is the greatest country in the world, at least in europ.
Great video and thank you for this interesting overview about one of the advanced traffic system. The transrapid SMT system was developed from thyssenkrupp and Siemens in the 70th to 90th, but we Germans were once again too stupid to implement it economically. China (CRRC600) and Japan continues to develop this system. Very good.
Germany is the owner of the maglev patent, so it's easy, after all, Germany cooperates with China to make maglev lines and trains in Germany, at Chinese prices!
I’ve been on that maglev train with my ex. She didn’t want to wait the 20 minutes for the next one which was the fast one. Booo!
I have in the past worked in Shanghai, and on occasion used the maglev, I can understand why it never went beyond the first pilot stage as it is both brilliant and eye watering expensive. So, the Chinese did the next best thing and did the bullet trains.
When I was last in Shanghai you could look out if your hotel window in the morning and not be able to see the building across the street, so radical action was needed, and then done.
For me, the one technology that may not make the transition is flights. Both batteries and hydrogen look like they are going to add weight, complexity and increased costs, while reducing range and payload to a point that most flying will not be economically viable. So having an established high speed network will be absolutely vital.
Batteries and fuel cells are great when it's too expensive to retrofit the existing rail infrastructure. Starting from scratch it's much better to go pure electric with above power lines.
@@fparent once train lines are built then they have a tendency to last. My local train station opened in 1838 so is rapidly approaching 200 years in operation. Even HS2 is, in reality, just the great central line being reopened. But with extra bits.
So true 👍
Absolutely. If emissions from domestic travel can be reduced via bullet trains (and maybe maglevs) across the world, then the emissions produced by air travel would be limited to international travel - much more supportable by the Earth, giving us time to develop better energy technologies.
@@SoraCyn Even if we don't develop better energy tech, having much less emissions means capture tech does not have as much work to do.
Well, im preety happy with our trains in Serbia (EU). Our new trains can speed up to 200km/h and thats more than enought in my opinion. I like to live "slow" and to do not be a "slave of a time".
you missed out something important. you can literally order your mcdonald's meal all from your seat, and have it delivered to you at the very next station. FRESH!
Great video, we are so behind in this country and even HS2 is pre historic compared to to the Chinese Bullet trains.
Thanks Eliot! Basically something I could only ever dream about in Australia, really need them here though.
Wow guys this is spectacular filming. This is commercial television quality. Love what you guys do.
Looks like Elliot has been banned from talking about price-busting($5,000-$25,000), ICE-crushing, too-disruptive Chinese EVs. The West's carmakers, Wall Street and our media only want to talk about evermore expensive, over-elaborate iPhones-on-Wheels / Lounges-on-Wheels packed with micro-chips.
Will Elliot only be permitted to talk about electric trains, buses, trucks, boats and planes and expensive electric cars from now on ?
Paul G
This is what happens when you have government investing in infrastructure instead of wars for profits.