L'avenir du train en Chine

According to the new railway network expansion program unveiled in 2008, China will have 120,000-kilometer-long railway by 2020, of which 16,000 kilometers are dedicated passenger lines where trains could reach a speed of 200km/h and above.

"By 2012, about 12,000-13,000 kilometers long dedicated passenger lines will be put into operation and I believe our transportation capacity could increase dramatically. It will not be so hard to get a railway ticket then as it is now," Professor Li explained.

China is not only endeavoring to perfect its domestic rail transportation grid but also has an ambitious plan to cooperate with other countries to connect the Eurasia with high speed railway network.

In early March, Wang Mengshu, a senior consultant on China's domestic high-speed rail project, told Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post that China plans to extend its domestic high speed rails to Central, East and Southeast Asia and is in negotiations with relevant countries.

If the great plan could come true, the newly-built network will connect the current high-speed rail network in Europe, which means passengers will take only two days traveling from London to Beijing, according to British Newspaper the Daily Mail.

"Technically speaking, the plan is totally feasible. (With such a network), many (goods) could be transported via the high speed rail rather then relying on ocean shipping," said Li.

(tiré du China Daily)