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High-speed rail link opens for business

By Xin Dingding (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-02 09:40

A new Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway train is pictured at the station in Beijing August 1, 2008.

 

The Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway went into service on Friday with the departure of inaugural train C2001 at 10:40 am from Beijing South Railway Station.

The bullet train, which arrived in Tianjin 29 minutes later, carried more than 50 passengers, journalists, officials and workers who participated in the line's construction.

Dong Zhiguo, a Beijinger in his 30s, said he waited hours on Thursday afternoon in order to buy a ticket for the train.

"Riding the 350-kph train is totally different from past experiences. No loud noises. It's more like flying," he said.

When the train arrived, he expressed regret that his return train left at noon. "I should have bought a ticket for the train leaving at 3 pm, so I could enjoy some seafood here in Tianjin," he said.

The comfortable ride on the high-speed train is made possible thanks to some cutting-edge designs.

Train designers said the windows are specially made to change the light refraction and reduce dizziness caused by its high speed.

Also, wind monitoring equipment can inform the train driver to slow down when the crosswind blows at 15 m per second, and stop when it exceeds 35 m per second.

The same traveler-friendly concept is embodied in the new Beijing South Railway Station, the largest in Asia.

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