Like Tree32Likes

My high speed rail report Shenzhen North to Changsha South

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    5,110

    My high speed rail report Shenzhen North to Changsha South

    Well as promised, I will give you a report and review (with attached photos!) of my high speed rail report from Shenzhen North to Changsha. (I've done it in a new thread here to avoid cluttering up my old thread).

    1. Tickets
    Bought my tickets last week at Lo Wu (to save myself the $100 CTS commission if I were to buy it at CTS HK). Not sure if it was worth it though, since it took me an hour waiting in line to buy the tickets. And at one point there was almost a fistfight breaking out because the ticket counter lady was new to her job and taking way too long to handle the customers.

    The company was paying so I bought myself and for my client two premier coach tickets. Unlike the early days of Chinese high speed rail, I think it's best to buy your tickets at least one week in advance as the demand has gone way up since then. You may end up being unable to buy the tickets if you are planning to buy it on the same day of travel. Most importantly, make sure you bring your passport with you, as they have to check your travel id in order for you to buy tickets.

    2.The Stations
    The quickest way to Shenzhen North is to enter Shenzhen from Lok Ma Chau. Because the Shenzhen immigration counter-point to Lok Ma Chau is Futian. Once you cleared immigration at Futian, take the Longhua line to Shenzhen north. As you can tell from the attached photos, the Shenzhen North station is brand new and very modern and spacious. A far cry from the rather shabby and filthy stations you get for the conventional trains. Same goes for Changsha (and all the other high speed stations for that matter). A downside is that most of these stations are located some distance from town, so getting to downtown from the station can take quite some time.

    3.The Ride
    Now onto the ride. We boarded the CRH3 train (based on the Siemens Velaro train in Germany). It is an electric multiple unit (emu), employing the same basic principles as your regular MTR train, but of course with different components, (i.e. bogies, pantograph) and different voltage for the overhead line (25 kv).

    The cabin was clean and tidy. The seats were wide and comfortable (2+2) with reclining ability and foot rest. Akin to a business class seat on an airline. The customer service is also somewhat improved from the "service with a snarl" typical of the normal hard sleeper trains. They offer complimentary snacks and water for the premier coach class.

    As the high speed rail line is continuously welded, you don't hear that click-clack sound of normal trains. It is very quiet and what sound you get is almost jet plane like. I also appreciate the speed display on the top of the cabin. It tells you which is your next station and how fast you are going (our train max out at 307 km). Whizzing past the countryside, you get the sensation of flying just above the land. Changsha is probably the farthest you can go in a single day trip, being around 3 hours and 20 minutes long.

    Last edited by Watercooler; 08-04-2013 at 12:14 PM.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    6,181

    I wonder why you line up in Lowu. When I bought my ticket directly at SZ North Station the ticketing hall had 3 counters open and maybe a total of 7 customers buying tickets. I guess first class is quite emtpty too. The train ticket is RMB 600 - a flight is around 500


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    5,110
    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    I wonder why you line up in Lowu. When I bought my ticket directly at SZ North Station the ticketing hall had 3 counters open and maybe a total of 7 customers buying tickets. I guess first class is quite emtpty too. The train ticket is RMB 600 - a flight is around 500
    Client instruction. He lives next to Lo Wu and I was meeting him there afterwards. Since he's about to sign a nice big contract with us, we have to do what is most convienient for him.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    6,745

    how many hours has your day ?


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    768
    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    I wonder why you line up in Lowu. When I bought my ticket directly at SZ North Station the ticketing hall had 3 counters open and maybe a total of 7 customers buying tickets. I guess first class is quite emtpty too. The train ticket is RMB 600 - a flight is around 500
    This is why the Ministry of Railways, who bankrolled all of the high speed rail lines is losing tons of money. The train takes longer and is not less expensive than a flight and most of the people who take long train rides are poor and looking for the cheapest fare ie. more time than money. Duplicate or triplicatation of infratructure in China will put a heavuy burden on state coffres once they realize that money borrowed has to be paid back somehow.....

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934
    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    This is why the Ministry of Railways, who bankrolled all of the high speed rail lines is losing tons of money. The train takes longer and is not less expensive than a flight and most of the people who take long train rides are poor and looking for the cheapest fare ie. more time than money. Duplicate or triplicatation of infratructure in China will put a heavuy burden on state coffres once they realize that money borrowed has to be paid back somehow.....
    That assumes no freight moves by rail. It's MUCH cheaper and faster to move heavy freight by rail around China than by air.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    6,745
    "Duplicate or triplicatation of infratructure in China will put a heavuy burden on state coffres once they realize that money borrowed has to be paid back somehow....."

    It is already in place.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    6,181
    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    That assumes no freight moves by rail. It's MUCH cheaper and faster to move heavy freight by rail around China than by air.
    High-speed rail lines are NOT for cargo!

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    7,517

    By moving passengers to the high speed lines, capacity for freight on the other lines is increased ...

    East_coast likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    4,905
    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    This is why the Ministry of Railways, who bankrolled all of the high speed rail lines is losing tons of money. The train takes longer and is not less expensive than a flight and most of the people who take long train rides are poor and looking for the cheapest fare ie. more time than money. Duplicate or triplicatation of infratructure in China will put a heavuy burden on state coffres once they realize that money borrowed has to be paid back somehow.....
    Must be an american

    It's virtually the same situation in Europe. People take the train for these kinds of distances because you don't have to show up way ahead, get out to an inconvenient airport, go through crazy security check etc...
    MandM! likes this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 LastLast