China to build its biggest high-speed train factory

[FarCenter]

Construction of China's biggest manufacturing base for high-speed trains is to be completed in the northeastern Jilin Province in June next year, local sources confirmed Wednesday.

It will also become China's biggest research and development center, according to Han Fengwu, deputy general manager of the Changchun Railway Vehicle Co., Ltd (CRC).

The base, which cost 2.5 billion yuan (about 0.36 billion U.S. dollars), is capable of producing 500 cars for ordinary passenger trains, 800 cars for high-speed trains which run at a speed above 350 kilometers per hour and 800 cars for inter-city express trains above 120 kilometers per hour.

Construction on the base began last May.

CRC, a share-holding enterprise registered in March 2002, produced China's first underground train, magnetic levitation train and high-speed train.

The Ministry of Railways launched a major overhaul of the rail system on April 1, the seventh since 1997, featuring faster trips and more seats.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90857/90860/6652280.html

[msongs]

1. meanwhile in the USA, GM (aka gross mismanagement) is on welfare life support nt

[Lars39]

2. And I can't even take a train from Nashville to Chicago.

:grr:

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Meanwhile, in the USA, The Party Of No® tries to stop all rail funding

[JDPriestly]

4. We are way, way behind. Nobody who has money is investing

it in the U.S., and those of us who don't have money are unwilling to work together to do anything. So, as a nation, we are stopped dead in our tracks so to speak. It's really sad. We have the best workers in the world. And no one wants to hire us.

[Vidar]

5. Good for China. The US ....oh well.

[AndyTiedye]

6. 350km/hr trains could Replace Most Air Travel That Does Not Involve Oceans

Such a train would be faster than flying for flights of 3 hours or less, given that the train gets you right to the city center, not to some airport miles from town, and the time it takes to get through security at airports.
Even for something like NY-SF, an overnight on a nice sleeper would be preferred by many, including me, even if the plane were a few hours faster.

Bring on the fast trains!