Editors note: This is a translated article original published on the Chinese web magazine eastday.com. With the upcoming opening of the high speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai, many people have been discussing which is the better option for travelling between the two cities, the bullet train or the airplane? This article tries to give an answer through the comparison of a number of factors ranging from travel time to price and even level of comfort. If you want to know which one to choose next time you do the trip, read on!
Will the June opening of the high speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai change the passenger transportation market from one dominated by air to a market with more equal competition between airplane and train? Will you choose the bullet train or the airplane next time the trip goes between the country’s two biggest metropolises? We will help you to find out!
1. Time
Comparison: Time taken to get from People’s Square in Shanghai to Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Bullet train that travels at 330km/h
The above trip takes 6 hours and 43 minutes all in all.
Airplane
The above trip takes 5 hours and 30 minutes all in all.
The airplane wins the first round!
2. Ticket price
Comparison: The complete cost of getting from People’s Square in Shanghai to Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Bullet train that travels at 330 km/h
All in all we spend 562 RMB to get from Shanghai to Beijing.
Airplane
All in all the trip from Shanghai to Beijing by airplane costs us 1352 RMB.
The bullet train is a clear winner in round 2!
3. Comfort
Comparison: Which is the more comfortable mode of transportation, bullet train or airplane?
Bullet train
Airplane
Again the bullet train takes the lead over the airplane and is a clear winner of round 3!
4. Buying a ticket
Comparison: Level of convenience when buying a ticket.
Bullet train
Airplane
The bullet trains wins round four as the most convenient for buying tickets!
We can conclude from our small competition that apart from saving some travel time the airplane does not have many selling points compared to the bullet train. Delays, the distance of airports from city centres and the time spent on security checks are all good reasons to choose the bullet train over the airplane. However it is still too early to say if we really are leaving the era of air transportation and entering a brave new world of high speed train travel. Who will be the last to laugh? We will have to wait and see…
Source: huanqiu.com
Related links
China’s High-Speed Rail System: Golden Dragon or White Elephant?
Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Rail Commences Official Operation on July 1st
Reporters Given First Sneak Peak of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Train
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Keywords: Beijing shanghai bullet train high speed train from shanghai to beijing china bullet train China bullet train airplane compared
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1130 is the full fare - usually when one flies in China there is a big discount. I have prob flown 100 times internally and NEVER paid full price, and usually pay less than 50%. Why is this not mentioned? How about online booking? Easy for airlines practically impossible for trains.
'Waiting for the bullet train (including arriving 15 minutes in advance as well as waiting an additional 15 minutes): 30 minutes''
Who does this - - -Anyone comfortable arriving at Shanghai or Beijing station 30 minutes before the off? I think not
The website and the train system have the same owner...
Jan 27, 2012 04:33 Report Abuse
About the best advantage that air travel has over the bullet trains is that it is possible to book the tickets months in advance (cost me AUD$157 to fly from HK to Tianjin with an overnight stop in SH).
I am not sure if the bullet trains can be booked from outside China, (like air tickets can be) but even so, only being able to book 10 days in advance would have been very problematic if I was not able to secure a ticket!
But whenever I can I prefer to take a train as I find them less stressful - and not as subject to sudden changes in departure times (or delays)
Jan 21, 2012 06:28 Report Abuse
Anything that would be under a five hour train ride is worth it to train as opposed to plane. Once you factor in checking in and baggage pick up flying, plus getting to the airport and the gauranteed flight delay, you're looking at eight hours to make a one hour flight. So take the train and be there in five.
Jan 16, 2012 03:09 Report Abuse
Smoke on the high speed train....er no. Maybe you could risk a quick and crafty puff when there is nobody about, but if caught, just as in the air, you will be punished. I am a smoker, and the thought of spending a few hours locked in an air tight tube with smoke around me does not inspire a nice environment, if your talking about the cheaper and older trains then perhaps smoking is acceptable. Anyway, if you believe what is written, it is now officially illegally to smoke indoors or in or on a public place, including transport, but this is China so obeying the rules is not important.
Jun 24, 2011 19:48 Report Abuse
"i believe even faster bullet trains should be made connecting world cities" Good idea, well this is already being proposed, they call it, International Peace Highway and when this International Peace Highway is completed, the world can be physically bound together as one.
Jan 21, 2012 12:14 Report Abuse
I'd take the bullet train just for the "straight line of eight shiny white teeth"!
Jun 22, 2011 18:16 Report Abuse
wow thats really statistical analysis of you........ cool impressive and very clear on every point.
Jun 22, 2011 08:31 Report Abuse
A real Xerxes is well educated and understands quality analysis !
Jan 15, 2012 00:05 Report Abuse