Track construction for the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in Jiangsu province and Shanghai has been finished ahead of schedule, meaning it is possible for the high-speed railway to open by the National Day on Oct. 1, 2011.
The 1,318-kilometer-long Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has 500-meter-long tracks welded together to give a much smoother ride.
A ride from Beijing to Shanghai will take just four hours, 10 hours less than the current time. It will transport more than 80 million passengers a year. This will have a dramatic effect on airlines flying short haul and ticket pricing will be crucial. On past experience given equal pricing, rail will totally take over.
English People’s Daily Online sources said a new-generation bullet train that will travel up to 380 kilometers per hour is now under development for the high-speed rail link.