Chinas HSR network has been greatly expanded Chinas rapid economic growth in the early 21st century was aided by its massive investments in infrastructure. Highways, bridges, tunnels and airports quickly spread throughout the country, linking nearly every major city and regional province, while 15,000 new cars were added to the nations roads each day. Above all, however, it was high-speed rail that proved to be the driving factor in much of Chinas rise.** Similar to the industrial revolution 200 years previously, rail provided growth and increased prosperity to every area it connected to. Between 2010 and 2020, China invested $300 billion* in constructing over 17,600 km (11,000 mi) of additional rail lines, giving 90% of the population access to the network.* From the 2020s onwards, there was further expansion of high-speed rail, as skyrocketing fuel prices* made commercial air travel prohibitively expensive for most people, with many turning to rail as an alternative. Commitments to reduce carbon emissions also spurred growth in HSR, since the trains themselves produced far less greenhouse gases. This huge increase in passenger numbers made HSR a profitable industry.*
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 19:46:13 +0000
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