Beijing-Shanghai bullet train ready to go
China’s railway ministry has announced speed-based trial prices for the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.
Tickets for trips on trains running at 300 kph will be priced between 555 yuan (US$85.6) for second-class seats and 1,750 yuan for business class.
Prices for journeys on 250-kph trains will range from 410 yuan for second-class seats to 650 yuan for first-class.
Prices will float according to the market and for the good of passengers, said vice minister of railways, Hu Yadong at a press conference.
There will be 63 pairs of trains with the speed of 300 kph every day, cutting travel time to 4 hours and 48 minutes.
The additional 27 pairs of trains running 250 kph will complete the trip in about eight hours, two hours shorter than the current high-speed trains.
The 1,318-kilometer rail will go into commercial service at the end of June.
The ministry decided to slow the speed to 300 kph instead of the previously planned 350 kph for cost and safety concerns.
The introduction of bullet trains provides passengers one more option for fast travel between the two cities but threatens to lure away customers from airlines.
A full-price flight is about 1,130 yuan for second-class seats on trips between Beijing and Shanghai, which takes about one hour and 40 minutes. Passengers also pay 50 yuan for an airport construction fee and 140 yuan for a fuel surcharge.
Ian Jarrett
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