Local railway operator preparing for speedup
28/10/2003 15:14
Shanghai's railway operators are making preparations for next year's fifth
nationwide railway speedup, a senior railway official told Xinmin Evening
News.
According to Liu Lianqing, director of Shanghai Railway Bureau, the
speedup program will mainly cover the country's trunk rail lines, with speeds of
some lines increased to meet the level of the overseas developed
countries.
As planned, speeds of passenger trains will increase from the
existing 160 kilometers per hour to 200 kilometers per hour, and that of freight
service from 80 to 120 kilometers per hour.
As a result, a ride between
Shanghai and Beijing will be cut from the current 14 hours to 12.
To achieve
the speedup, train operators will reduce the number of stops along the routes
and also will have trains for passenger and cargo services run on different rail
lines, Liu noted.
Currently, trains for both services use the same lines,
causing slower services, he added.
In addition to an increase in speed, the
railway service will be more ecological-friendly and comfortable, Liu
said.
Starting in 2005, trains on the Shanghai-Hangzhou and Zhejiang-Jiangxi
routes, both operated by the Shanghai railway authority, will be powered by
electricity instead of the oil.
"With green power, the train service will be
both faster and cleaner," he said.
The introduction of more luxury trains
will make the railway trips more agreeable, Liu added.
The first such train
has already been put in service on the Beijing-Shanghai route and has received
warm market reactions, he said.
Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
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