Bullet trains lead and promote China's infrastructure construction

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China's regional development has benefited from the fast build-out of the country's bullet train network. The scale of major economic zones, such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, has largely expanded thanks to the high-speed railway network, which has also improved the connectivity of cities and logistics efficiency.

According to a mid-to long-term railway network plan released by China in 2016, the country’s high-speed railway network will reach 38,000 kilometers by 2025, connecting all provincial capital cities and other urban centers with a population of over 500,000.

The plan aims to improve connectivity between major cities, as well as third- and fourth-tier cities across China. It is the third scheme on bullet train network building, released over a decade after the first high-speed train was put into service.

The plan has tremendously changed the concept of regional transportation in the country.

With the fast development of China’s bullet trains, the country’s regional development has been brought to a brand new level. /CGTN Photo

Liu Debing, director of the advisory board for the International Business Ethics Center of the University of International Business and Economics, says that the high-speed railway network has largely improved the integration of neighboring cities, especially in major economic zones, such as the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.

"Inter-city traveling in these areas has become as easy and convenient as inner-city transportation," he said adding that the network has also had a hand in strengthening people-to-people communication and industrial structural reforms.

According to China Railway Corporation, the country’s bullet train network has reached more than 20,000 kilometers of track, accounting for over 60 percent of that of the whole world.

Since 2008, high-speed railway passenger capacity has been growing by an average of 30 percent each year.

Every day, 4,000 bullet trains are put in operation on average. The network has seen over six billion passenger trips up until now.

China’s bullet train system enjoys great competitiveness. /CGTN Photo

Compared to planes, which suffer from a high rate of delay in China, bullet trains have won over more and more passengers by their punctual performances.

Liu stresses that China’s high-speed railway development started up from cooperation with the West.

"According to the World Bank, China’s bullet train system has become the most competitive, characterized by its price and quality advantages.(China) has formed its own bullet train branding, but we still need to strengthen cooperation with the world’s leading high-speed railway companies, especially in the area of network management," he said.

China is currently exporting its high-speed railway technology and trains. Bullet trains with Chinese standards have successfully entered Russia, Thailand, and Malaysia, becoming another reflection of China and contributing to the world openness and connectivity.