A planner in China; HSR networkJan Duffhues december 2010

•15 days in november 2010•Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing•By train

•In this presentation– The railway stations

– The railway network– Urban transportation– TOD– … what else I saw

The trip

•The network and its various incarnations

– Various speeds– Integrated with current network

– or not

•The world is paying attention…•It functions…•But is it useful?

OverviewThe network

The networkThe network

• Hard to find accurate maps!• (especially in English…)

The networkThe network

• Four categories1. Upgraded pre-existing rail lines that can accomodate high-speed

trains2. A national grid of mostly passenger dedicated HSR lines (PDL)3. Other newly built conventional rail lines, mostly in western China,

that can carry high-speed passenger and freight trains4. Certain regional ‘Intercity’ HSR lines

• So: no universal standard • I travelled on

– Guangzhou – Wuhan (type 2, adjacent to existing railway line but completely new, 2009) (> 300 km/h)

– Wuhan Nanjing (type 3, 2008/9) (200-250 km/h)– Nanjing – Shanghai (type 4, 2010) (>300 km/h)

The networkThe network

• Mostly on viaducts (> 150 km long on new Beijing – Shanghai line)• Right through cities and countryside, on the 4th or 6thfloor• Picture: Time Magazine

The networkThe network

• In 2012, more kms of high speed rail than rest of the world combined• In 2020 over 13.000 km of PDL (‘type 2’)• Connecting all the major cities• New stations, new urban transportation networks

The figuresThe network

• Link to Hong Kong ->• … and even to Burma, Vietnam…

Europe?

• But to an enormous cost• So China needs its growth more

than ever to sustain these kind of investments

• Grabs headlines worldwide

The attentionThe network

• It works like a charm: swift & easy• English speaking machines – cards

accepted• Strict rules on board, so

– No smoking or spitting– But eating noisily is allowed (…)

The way it worksThe network

• ‘death of distance’ XXL• More cities can get an economic boost, thus relieving the coastal areas of

massive migration

• But: value of time in China for most of the population is very low• Example: From Guangzhou to Wuhan, HSR

– Cuts 7:01 hour off the normal train time– At a cost of 191 Yuan (cheapest class) (€ 21)– Is 27 Yuan / hour (€ 3,12)– Average monthly wage: €160 (rural)

• So, it is certainly not useful/available for everybody…

Is it useful?The network

• The stations are mostly in empty, undeveloped areas• So, node/place value is extremely unbalanced• Example: the new line from Nanjing to Shanghai did bring you 30

minutes faster in Shanghai, but to a new station outside of the center. A 25 minute metro ride was needed to get into the center of Shanghai again.

• What is going to happen to ‘old’ stations and especially the areas surrounding it? Does business move out to the new HSL stations?

• If it prevents further growth of airline travel (which it apparently already does between Guangzhou and Wuhan), it will help improving air quality (which is much needed in China)

• If regional networks are connected to the stations, the possible daily urban system of city-regions will become massive. Larger than anywhere, ever.

Is it useful?The network

• Ideal for travellers: cross one of the world’s largest countries in a matter of hours

• Envy of the world: Europe and Japan invented it but lag, rest of the world does not even come close

• Possible benefits large (environmental, economical)• Costs certainly enormous (financial, but also

Concluding remarksThe network