On Chinese High Speed Train

North Korea's neighbor, China, already has the world’s longest high-speed rail (HSR) network with about 6,920 km of routes in service as of July 2010, including 1,995 km of rail lines with top speeds of 350 km/h. According to "China's railway and long-term railway network plan 2020," China will build 12,000 kilometers of passengers railway lines, with the establishment of provincial capital cities and between cities fast "passengers corridor", and with the formation of "five vertical and four horizontal" rail rapid passenger access. In the north-east of China, Liaoning is one of the five longitudinal important nodes. From each corner of China, "railways bloom like flowers in Spring" a source said.

For instance China started on Sunday to build an extension to the world's highest rail link, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, to Xigaze, the second largest city in the southwestern Tibet autonomous region. With a 253-km extension from Tibet's capital Lhasa to Xigaze the railway will pass through five counties and over the 90-km long Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. The construction will take about four years. It is the first extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that opened in July 2006.

Tomorrow, it will be easy traveling in the Northeast China

riding the Chinese inter city high-speed train from Dalian or Dandong

through Shenyang to Beijing (Beijing to Harbin in less than 4 hours)

at the speed of 350km/h.

Liaoning Province. Its nominal GDP for 2009 was 1.51 trillion yuan making it the 7th largest in China. Its per capita GDP was 34,193 yuan. Among the three provinces of Northeast China, Liaoning is the largest in terms of GDP.

2012: Opening of the Pyongyang Sinuiju Highway road

October 4th 2009 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was given a gala welcome to Pyongyang by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, during this state visit Wen and Kim Jong-Il discussed economical construction. Most of the western media were just told it was a try to resolve DPRK nuclear weapons issue and were mostly kept uninformed of the real content of discussions by Chinese and Korean officials.

As a major part of China DPRK economical relation to Pyongyangers, a decision was reached to start the construction of the Pyongyang - Sinuiju highway (the border with China Dandong city). Highway construction completion deadline is April 2012, two years a total cost of 2.5 billion CN Yuan in China so (about US$ 370 million).

North Korea Highways are completely paved and are deemed to be roads along which it is possible to travel at high speeds. The construction of highways began in the 1970s. With regard to road linkages with China, there are 11 routes linking the two countries by bridge across the Yalu and Tumen Rivers. The volume of traffic is highest on the Sinuiju–Dandong, Namyang–Tumen, and Wonjong–Quanhe routes. With regard to road linkages with Russia, the Friendship Bridge across the Tumen River is also used by cars.

One future Asian main highway: the Number 1

It is the Chinese Route which will link South East Asia to North East Asia starting at the border of Viet Nam (to Hanoi) then – Hong Kong, China – Changsha – Zhengzhou - Beijing – Shenyang – Dandong, border of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Sinuiju.

This route is an extension of the existing Asian Highway route A-1 from Hanoi, the capital of Viet Nam to Beijing, the capital of China, and extends to Pyongyang and Seoul. The stretch between Hong Kong, China to Changsha is the existing Asian Highway route A-82 and the stretch between Changsha, Zhengzhou and Beijing is the existing Asian Highway route A-3.

Riding the CRH from the South of China

Click the arrow to watch

On a "CRH", the Chinese TGV, Shinkansen, this is the China Railway High speed train, from Guangzhou at 335 km/h. September 2010

UPDATE

Following is a report from Radio Chine Internationale broadcasted October 3rd 2010 --French and foreign languages departments--

"The length of operating railway high speed has exceeded 7055 km in China. That is the figure that was announced Saturday, Oct. 2, when the day the flag of Chinese Railways, the Shanghai World Expo.

The high-speed trains that can travel at 380 km / h, were developed and manufactured in large quantities. Several high-speed rail lines are currently under construction: Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, Shanghai-Chengdu-Hankou or Shanghai-Kunming.

A number of projects shows that China Launches Innovative railway lines at high speed, and it is now at the forefront of this global industry."

URL: http://french.cri.cn/781/2010/10/03/141s229290.htm

Sources: Data research center, Reporter's notes