Saturday, May 31, 2014

China Rolling out Global High Speed Rail Plans and Projects





Without question, China is the only regime able to serious tackle this ambitious a project.  Yet their continuing build out of their internal network actually proves capability and serious capacity.  That capacity will need a future market come 2020 and why not the world?

An extended Asian network of track is most attractive, particularly is they shoot a branch down into India and into Africa.  There are serious potential markets all along these corridors that would naturally blossom.  Again it is necessary to target the low hanging fruit like Europe, Africa and India.

A Bering route is a difficult proposition at best and better for freight haulage perhaps.  I personally think even that has better ways.

Yet in the long haul, we will do it anyway unless we come up with a container sized wormhole first.  Which I no longer dismiss as impossible either.

MAY 09, 2014




China's academy of engineering is talking about a global high speed rail network. There are reasons to doubt that the politics and negotiations can come together. However, China plans to have 50,000 kilometers high speed rail network built inside of China by 2020. The external line to the US via Russia and Canada would be an added 12000 km outside of China and a line to Europe via India would be of similar length. So 40% more high speed rail that China was planning and building already. 


China's name in chinese is Middle Kingdom.


China would be building a high a global high speed rail network where the lines lead to and from the middle kingdom. 


The Pan Asian line is funded and being built and will bring South East Asian economies closer to China.


China can afford to do it and the connections would be more powerful than any negotiated trade deal. It would be increased physical access. 


China is adding a new $10 billion credit line for Africa on top of the existing $20 billion already offered. China will boost the China-Africa Development Fund by $2 billion, bringing it to a total of $5 billion


Chinese Premier Li Keqiang depicted a dream that all African capitals are connected with high-speed rail, so as to boost pan-African communication and development


Li's trip, which also takes in oil-rich Nigeria and Angola, would not simply be for energy deals and Beijing will be seeking to help boost African living standards.


Li said he hoped that some of the loans being offered would be used to support small and medium-seized companies in Africa, adding that economic development on the continent offered huge opportunities for both China and Africa.


"History and reality make clear to all: China's development gives opportunity to Africa; Africa develops, and China also benefits," he said.


Trips by Chinese leaders to Africa are often marked by big natural resource deals, triggering criticism from some quarters that China is only interested in the continent's mineral and energy wealth.


"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," Wang said.


The project – nicknamed the "China-Russia-Canada-America" line – would run for 13,000km, about 3,000km further than the Trans-Siberian Railway. The entire trip would take two days, with the train travelling at an average of 350km/h (220mph). 


NBF - China's fastest test trains can go about double this speed and low air pressure tunnels could further boost the speed. If the line were built it could be upgrade for one day or even twelve hour or less travel times.


The reported plans leave ample room for skepticism. No other Chinese railway experts have come out in support of the proposed project. Whether the government has consulted Russia, the US or Canada is also unclear. The Bering Strait tunnel alone would require an unprecedented feat of engineering – it would be the world's longest undersea tunnel – four times the length of the Channel Tunnel.


According to the state-run China Daily, the tunnel technology is "already in place" and will be used to build a high-speed railway between the south-east province of Fujian and Taiwan. "The project will be funded and constructed by China," it said. "The details of this project are yet to be finalised."


Google Translate version of the Chinese Academy of Engineering high speed rail proposals and projects


Chinese Academy of Engineering, Wang Meng-shu Secret Chinese high-speed rail "going out" strategy [NBF- for commercial and geopolitical reasons]


Pan-Asian high-speed railway to start construction next month [NBF- his is funded and getting built]


A Eurasian high-speed rail


Line: From London, via Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Kiev, Moscow, after over two branches, one into Kazakhstan, another virtual point of the Far East Khabarovsk, after entering the territory of China Manzhouli


Process: Domestic segment has already started, is still being negotiated outside the lines


2 Central High Speed ​​Rail


Line: The starting point is Urumqi, through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey and other countries, and finally to Germany


Process: Domestic segment is advancing, still being negotiated outside the lines


3 Pan-Asian high-speed rail


Line: starting from Kunming, followed by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, arrived in Singapore


Process: Inter-China-Burma railway tunnel commenced in June


4 Russia plus the United States and high-speed rail


Line: starting from the northeast all the way north through the Bering Strait in Siberia arrived to build a tunnel way across the Pacific Ocean, arriving in Alaska, and then go from Alaska, Canada, the United States finally arrived


Process: being discussed


And then to Africa, Premier Li Keqiang visited each force will recommend to the local Chinese high-speed railway from Thailand to Eastern Europe. Technically sound, mature operating experience, quality and security, cost-effective, enjoys a good reputation in the international market ...... May 5, at the China-aided AU Conference Center, he enumerated the advantages of Chinese high-speed rail to the five African leaders.


In the name of such a high level of "high iron salesman" behind, is five years China has launched high-speed rail "going out" strategy. This is a big game.


And Northeast were starting from Xinjiang, a North-South high-speed rail construction two intercontinental connectivity in Europe; from Kunming, the construction of a direct high-speed rail through Southeast Asia, Singapore ...... This is China high-speed rail "going out" of the three strategic direction. In the more distant future, China intends to increase cooperation with Russia and the United States, the construction of a across the Bering Strait, up to tens of thousands of kilometers of high-speed rail connecting the two continents Ami.


Yesterday, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the famous railway expert Wang Meng-shu accept the Beijing Times [microblogging] Reporter interview, described the progress of these cross-border high-speed rail lines.


Building process - Europe and Central Asia are negotiating high-speed rail


Pan-Asian high-speed railway to start construction in June


In 2009, China formally proposed high-speed rail "going out" strategy. The following year, the Ministry of Railways for the establishment of a dozen different countries working group officially began operations this strategy. China's participation in the preparation of the Eurasian high-speed rail, high-speed rail in Central Asia and the Pan-Asian high-speed rail, it is three directions of this strategy.


According to the "Southern Weekend" previously disclosed, the planned Eurasian high-speed rail from London, via Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Kiev, Moscow, after over two branches, one into Kazakhstan, another virtual point of the Far East Khabarovsk Trask, Manchuria after entering the territory of China.


With conditions similar to the Eurasian high-speed rail, high-speed rail in Central Asia is also not completely settled. The starting point of this railway line is Urumqi, after Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey and other countries, and finally to Germany. Coincides with the ancient Silk Road.


Pan-Asian high-speed rail runs through Southeast Asia starting from Kunming through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, arrived in Singapore.


Yesterday, Wang Meng-shu in an interview with Beijing Times reporter interviewed introduction, Pan-Asian high-speed rail should start in June this year, from western Yunnan Diamond Hill built an approximately 30 km of tunnels leading to Myanmar, from Burma to the east, out of a branch line to to Thailand, and the other is via a main line Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore leads. This will become China's leading high-wire Southeast Asian countries a convenient channel.


Wang Meng-shu told reporters that the current high-speed rail and Central Eurasian domestic high-speed rail segment or have started, or are pushed outside the line in negotiations on how to build it. Go north on Western Europe via the Eurasian high-speed rail line, since the need to go through Russia, China advocates the use of internationally accepted standards of 1435 mm track, but the Russian railway network has been using quite different from the international standard 1524 mm broad gauge, connect the not yet settled.


And Eurasian same high-speed rail, high-speed rail in Central Asia of the negotiations. Wang Meng-shu said that the high-speed rail line through Central Asia, Southern Europe destined Germany, which is the ancient Silk Road, trade between China and Europe in the past mainly rely on cargo vessels, such as China imported advanced equipment from Germany, currently ship transportation needs, But from Europe to China is bound to go through the Malacca Strait, shipping at least a month to arrive. Future high-speed rail in Central Asia, once completed, can save a lot of time and cost, "go overland through the high-speed rail, freight from China to Germany may only need a short period of five days."


Cooperation - China to build high-speed rail technology funding commitments

The replacement of resources through the construction of high-speed rail

Three cross-border high-speed rail in the pipeline, due to the cross-border high-speed railway construction involving many countries, and also funded the construction of the countries involved along with the completion of operational problems. In this regard, Wang Meng-shu said, these cross-border high-speed rail construction has a principle, by the Chinese side of the capital, the technology and the equipment to construction, is completed by the passing countries will be involved in operations. In this process, China will negotiate with the country, with the construction of high-speed rail to replace local resources, such as Central Asia and Europe, oil and gas resources, Burma potash, thereby establishing a long-term cooperation mechanism to protect our resources to use.

Wang Meng-shu, currently planning several of these cross-border high-speed rail are referring to this concept in the negotiation and operation, through the "replacement of existing resources" approach, on the one hand to promote connectivity between China and neighboring Asian countries to facilitate trade between countries, the other hand, imports from China in order to protect scarce resources, which will help the oil, gas flow.


Wang Meng-shu introduction, the construction of these three high-speed rail lines, China is not only responsible for surveying, planning, design, construction, and will ensure that after completion of operations, personnel training. According to Wang Meng-shu, at present there is a regular train from Zhengzhou to carry exploration equipment and technical personnel destined for Central Europe and other regions of the high-speed rail line through the area for exploration may negotiate with the relevant countries are being conducted.


For the "replacement resources with high-speed rail technology" of cooperation, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Railways had to accept the "Southern Weekend" interview, he explained: "China is another country to build high-speed rail, the money to get money, get money exchanged for something else This is a fair way to trade. "


Vision for the future - Canada and the U.S. and Russia begin high-speed rail plan


People are expected to take the high-speed rail to the United States


Wang Meng-shu also mentioned that China is considering the construction of a railroad through Siberia, across the Bering Strait to Alaska directly, through Canada to the United States from China in the future so that you can take the train to the United States.


Wang Meng-shu introduction of the railway in Northeast China's departure from the way north through the Bering Strait in Siberia arrived, by way of the construction of a tunnel through the Pacific, arrived in Alaska, and then go from Alaska, Canada, the United States finally arrived. "It is now talking about, which is the idea of ​​Russia for many years." Wang Meng-shu said that the construction of the railway across the Bering Strait need to build about 200 kilometers of tunnels, the tunnel leading technology in Fujian Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail tunnel will applications are now technically qualified. The railway will also take the Chinese out of technology, the capital building, and replacement of resources through the country the way forward, this plan is currently under discussion.


Wang Meng-shu said the line preliminary estimate of about 13,000 kilometers, if completed, China to the United States will be able to no longer have to take a plane, take the high-speed rail can be viewed along the multi-country scenery, according to the 350 km / h design speed passenger ride high-speed rail is expected to less than two days walk from the United States.


Difficulty Analysis - Construction of transnational high-speed rail faces three challenges


Several of these cross-border high-speed railway construction plan was put forth on the concern, but the construction of the railway is not easy. There have been an example to analyze high-speed rail in Europe and Asia that China's high-speed rail construction of these international challenges facing at least the following three areas:


One is difficult to raise huge amounts of money. Eurasian necessary funds to build high-speed rail will be an astronomical figure, not a Chinese government can afford. Even along the countries are willing to provide some funding for the Eurasian high-speed rail, still unable to meet demand.


Second, the rail operator would be a problem. Eurasian high-speed rail to pass through a dozen countries, how to manage and operate cross-border high-speed rail system this will be a huge challenge. If along the Eurasian countries can not agree on a high-speed rail operators, subsequent cooperation would be impossible.



The third is still unable to resolve technical problems. Eurasia is the world's largest continent, geological conditions along the Eurasian high-speed rail is extremely complex, both alpine valley insurance also has rivers and lakes, the construction of a complex geological environments across so many high-speed rail is technically
faces enormous challenges.

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