China's 245mph train service is the world's fastest

[Kenai]

And China invented everything themselves?

The ability to build stuff quickly isn't impressive. Just need the resources.

What's impressive is the technology to travel at 245mph for safe regular service.

Chinese GDP per capita will take a very long time to overtake the US. And thats if its viable to maintain such rapid economic growth. Just look at Japan and see how growth tapered off as it grew rapidly.

Perhaps you didn't pick up on the sarcasm of my original post but that is basically half my point - having built such a network in 4 years isn't that amazing when you consider the likely methods involved.

Technologically whilst mildly impressive, it is nothing other countries couldn't do, it's just the fact we actually pay workers, try and not let them die etc. that prevents such things being particularly sensible to try because they would cost so much.

There is nothing really technology wise preventing us doing the same thing here - it's just that it would cost far too much to be worthwhile. We can't just uproot peoples homes if we need the land for straigtening, stuff like that. Basically, it is more the conditions that prevent feasibility here, not the technology.

 

[starfighter]

the tracks are made from dead chinamen.

 

[beh]

What's impressive is the technology to travel at 245mph for safe regular service.

The service connects the modern cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan at an average speed of 217mph

Or wiki would seem to suggest the 217mph quoted above is actually the top speed, based on the timetable (i.e. in normal operation). The average being 194mph.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

UK need this, why aint we getting this?

 

[KNiVES]

China kills little girls and used their bones for the railway!

Lots of bitter Brits here - I've noticed that nearly every single post has slated China and not remarked on the technological wonder of this railway system. It is known that China has an appalling human rights record but there's no point in bringing it up every single time the nation gets mentioned.

China at the very least, don't invade other countries under false pretenses and massacre their civilians. Stones and glass houses people...

 

[mollymoo]

We can't just uproot peoples homes if we need the land for straigtening, stuff like that.

Compulsory purchase order springs to mind.

 

[Glaucus]

Lots of bitter Brits here - I've noticed that nearly every single post has slated China and not remarked on the technological wonder of this railway system. It is known that China has an appalling human rights record but there's no point in bringing it up every single time the nation gets mentioned.

.

yes because OP said it was amazing it was achieve in 4 years. It's not Bitter, it's commenting on the OP. Nothing particularly special or interesting about it in a technological view point.

Compulsory purchase order springs to mind.

Not easy at all and time consuming. Doesn't it need parliament backing for a start.

 

[starfighter]

China kills little girls and used their bones for the railway!

Lots of bitter Brits here - I've noticed that nearly every single post has slated China and not remarked on the technological wonder of this railway system. It is known that China has an appalling human rights record but there's no point in bringing it up every single time the nation gets mentioned.

China at the very least, don't invade other countries under false pretenses and massacre their civilians. Stones and glass houses people...

I am not a fan of our government at all really but seriously don't even go there, the Chinese Government are the some of the worst people in the world. You cannot begin to comprehend the scale of their cruelty. atleast we have learnt our lesson for the most part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

You can't use the killing of 100s of your citizens as an excuse to go to war when you did it yourself.

 

[muon]

Or wiki would seem to suggest the 217mph quoted above is actually the top speed, based on the timetable (i.e. in normal operation). The average being 194mph.

Nice spot. So not as big of a step up as it seems. But nevertheless a world record.

edit:

Looking at that wikipedia article, the DM must have got the higher speed from the top speed of the test run.

'The train can go 245mph, it's the fastest train in operation in the world,' said Zhang Shuguang.

Or rather what this guy meant.

 

[zzzJonny]

China kills little girls and used their bones for the railway!

Lots of bitter Brits here - I've noticed that nearly every single post has slated China and not remarked on the technological wonder of this railway system. It is known that China has an appalling human rights record but there's no point in bringing it up every single time the nation gets mentioned.

China at the very least, don't invade other countries under false pretenses and massacre their civilians. Stones and glass houses people...

This.

There'd be something to pick on for any new record from you guys to affirm your insecurity that you are in fact, not superior at everything.

 

[Glaucus]

This.

There'd be something to pick on for any new record from you guys to affirm your insecurity that you are in fact, not superior at everything.

what has it got to do with a new record? Nearly all comments are in response of the Op saying that to do it in 4 years is amazing. Nothing about being bitter or anything else. We are just stating why it is not amazing and why they can do it and we can not.

 

[muon]

This.

There'd be something to pick on for any new record from you guys to affirm your insecurity that you are in fact, not superior at everything.

I think most comments were in response to why we couldn't do something so quickly.

Not that the UK is even close to having good trains for a developed european nation.

 

[Cosimo]

It is known that China has an appalling human rights record but there's no point in bringing it up every single time the nation gets mentioned.

What do you expect people to do, sweep it under the carpet until it goes away. When are you supposed to mention it, ah yes, when the Chinese government tells you to do so or when it doesn’t offend someone. It’s so appalling that is has to be mentioned at every opportunity.

 

[Biohazard]

We could probably build a similar route in less than 4 years if the government forced 10,000 of us to work on it and simply knocked down everything in the way.

Sounds like the way forward to me...

 

[Caged]

Not that the UK is even close to having good trains for a developed european nation.

If I book more than one day in advance I can travel from St. Pancras to Nottingham, First Class in a modern, fast train with tea and coffee provided and the chance to buy a hot meal and have it delivered to my seat. And this costs about £20. It's not all poverty on the rail network.

 

[NickK]

I wonder how much slave labour, no wait, cheap labour they used and how many people died during the construction of the railway.

Like the Autobahn..

 

[wez130]

Sounds like the way forward to me...

i see, let's use the unemployed layabouts who have no wish to contribute to society, i'm 100% for that

 

[Tefal]

i see, let's use the unemployed layabouts who have no wish to contribute to society, i'm 100% for that

How efficient do you think a lazy, unwilling and untrained workforce could possibly be?

 

[etom]

rather see trains at a normal price before they start increasing speed dramatically

 

[muon]

If I book more than one day in advance I can travel from St. Pancras to Nottingham, First Class in a modern, fast train with tea and coffee provided and the chance to buy a hot meal and have it delivered to my seat. And this costs about £20. It's not all poverty on the rail network.

The same can be said for the very good Virgin Pendolino services which are very cheap (although subsidised in reality), but in terms of travel time, still doesn't beat travelling within France. Also such cheap rates only exist for advance bookings at off peak times using a railcard.

The ECML is also heavily subsidised. I'm not sure what line Nottingham is on, but it will be as well.