China High Speed Rail Stations & Infrastructure- Simply The Best

Despite China's high speed rail crash last year, which is an unusual occurrence given that Japan's 44 year old system and France's 27 year old system have never experienced a fatality, the Asian country is still investing heavily in their high speed rail system.

In recent years, China has laid almost 10,000 kilometers of HSR track, investing billions of yuan in a state of the art train network. And they're not stopping there as Chinese authorities aim to build more than 13,000 kilometers of high-speed lines by 2012 and 16,000 kilometers by 2020.



As a result, China is now producing fast trains that are comfortable and come with eye popping architecture. Let's first take a look at the trains themselves. From skyscrapercity.com...

(Posted by clkgtr)

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Leading-edge BOMBARDIER ZEFIRO technology to feature maximum operating speeds of 380 kph

Bombardier Transportation announced today that its Chinese joint venture, Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd., has been selected by the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) to supply 80 ZEFIRO 380 very high speed trains (1,120 cars) for the country’s rapidly growing high speed rail network. The contract, including 20 eight-car trainsets and 60 sixteen-car trainsets, is valued at an estimated 27.4 billion Chinese Renminbis ($4 billion US, 2.7 billion euros).[1] Bombardier’s share of the contract is estimated at 13.5 billion Chinese Renminbis, ($2 billion US, 1.3 billion euros). The first train is scheduled for delivery in 2012 with final deliveries expected in 2014.




The new trainsets will be an integral part of an evolving high speed rail capability in China, which is developing more than 6,000 km of new high speed lines to create one of the most advanced high speed rail networks in the world. The trains, with maximum operating speeds of 380 kph, are based on Bombardier’s next-generation ZEFIRO high speed rail technology, and powered by a highly energy efficient BOMBARDIER MITRAC propulsion and control system.


The ZEFIRO 380 trainsets will also incorporate Bombardier’s advanced ECO4 energy saving technologies to create best-in-class energy and operating efficiencies. Bombardier launched its ECO4 technology package in 2008 as part of an ongoing focus to extend rail’s position as the most sustainable form of transportation in the world. Bombardier is first in the industry to create a new formula for total train performance with a portfolio that can create substantial overall energy savings of up to 50%.


The ZEFIRO 380 trains will be manufactured at Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation production facilities in Qingdao, China. Engineering will take place in Qingdao and at Bombardier centers in Europe with project management and components provided from sites in Europe and China.


Established in 1998, Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. is a joint venture between Bombardier and CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Ltd. dedicated to supplying passenger rail rolling stock for China. It has delivered over 1,000 passenger rail cars into China since its inception, including a range of high speed trains and high-grade passenger coaches.

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Here are some more high speed rail cars developed by the Chinese...

(most pictures taken from: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=174030)







Now let's take a look at the high speed rail stations the Chinese have built for their high speed rail system...

Smaller Stations-

Yanchen Station:
 

Yan An Station:


Yantai Station:


Huaihua Station:


Chifeng Station:


Yiwu Station:


Zhangjiajie Station:


Wuchang Station:



Lhasa Station:


Larger Stations:

Beijing West:


New Suzhou Central Station


Wuhan:













Fuzhou:




Beijing North renovation:




Qingdao:






Chengdu:






Nanjing South:









Guangzhou:




Shanghai West





Shenzhen North Station









New Dalian Station












Tianjin West Station.







Nanjing



Suzhou





Suzhou Industrial Park station



Wuxi







Changzhou



Danyang



Zhenjiang





The massive Hongqiao Traffic Hub (maglev, metro, HSR, airport) in Shanghai:

Guiyang new railway station.

Changsha South railway station

Hengyang East Station, the largest Class II station of the Wuguang PDL

Beijing South

The Chinese have also built some impressive high speed rail infrastructure outside of their stations...

Xixiaoping Tunnel





Taihang Mountain Tunnel West Exit (tunnel 27.839km)





Bridge/tunnel is 60% of total length



North of Yangquan County



Xichengwu Bridge (3.57km)



Driving to the other part of tunnel



Gushan Bridge, the design serves the purpose of not breaking S314 road







Yehe Bridge



Yehe Bridge and Duan Zhuang Tunnel



Kulong Peak Bridge and Miaoling Mount Tunnel





Out of Xiaopo Mount Tunnel



The only low-speed train the new rail





Taiping River Bridge (2.23km)

As a result of all of this investment, the Chinese have created hundreds of thousands of jobs with in their high speed rail manufacturing plants...

When you compare this investment to what we have here in the U.S...

Detroit Amtrak Station


Houston Amtrak Station


New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal

You see why the U.S is no longer leading the world in job creation, manufacturing, or technological innovation. It begs the question: When are we going to stop wasting billions on interstates from the 1950s and start building 21st century infrastructure like the Chinese are with their high speed rail.

Just this past year, China announced that they will be building maglev lines for Beijing which go even faster than traditional high speed rail...

Here in Evansville, we have plenty of room to manufacture high speed rail with a slack water port, we have plenty of room to build a high speed rail station in Downtown Evansville, and we would be saving money while creating jobs by redirecting highway and interstate funds to high speed rail.

We need to say Yes on High Speed Rail!

Mayor Winnecke's Letter To Bloomington Is A Disappointing Setback For Progress In Southern Indiana



Any hope that Southern Indiana, most notably Evansville, would be joining the rest of the Midwest, the U.S, and the world in general took a huge hit today with Mayor Lloyd Winnecke's decision to write a letter to the Bloomington MPO requesting they include I-69 in their budget.

Our town is in debt up to its eyeballs. It's now getting to the point where we have no funds for even our basic services. Just a few weeks ago, our Evansville City Council bowed down to Casino Aztar and gave them an exemption to our smoking ban simply because we couldn't afford to stand up to them...

http://evansvillemovingforward.blogspot.com/2012/02/as-evansville-goes-up-in-cigarette.html

You would think that these basic truths would grab the attention of our city leaders to actually do something about it. You would think that our city would finally commit itself to fighting urban sprawl which stretches our government services, our infrastructure, and our environmental impact. You would think that our city would quit building roads and interstates until they fixed the ones they have. Unfortunately, you would be wrong across the board. Let's dive into some of the quotes from the letter...

http://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Interstate-69-Letter.pdf

"I share the opinion of numerous local, state, and federal officials that Interstate 69 is vitally important to the continued growth and development of southwest Indiana."

My question is very simple: Why? There is zero evidence backing this notion up. Back in 1999, before INDOT admitted that the cost of the interstate from Evansville to Indianapolis would be $3.31 billion (add in the bridge and repairs needed to inferior materials and it's over $5 billion) not $750 million, an independent firm pegged each job created by I-69 to cost $1.56 million...

http://www.commonsensei69.org/documents/I69UICRpt01-00-99.pdf

These past few months, it has been US 41, not I-69, that has created the jobs...

http://evansvillerail.blogspot.com/2011/09/another-day-another-company-chooses-us.html

"In 2007, the U.S Department of Transportation designated Interstate 69 as a national "Corridor of the Future" stating that the highway is a project of regional and national significance. As you know, the Interstate 69 route extends from Michigan to Texas, placingthe state of Indiana in a strategic location along this international trade route."

I-69 is 84 miles longer than existing interstates...

http://www.i69tour.org/nationalmap.pdf

Truck drivers are known to take the shortest routes possible and will even drive for miles on back roads to avoid toll roads. Why would they drive 84 miles out of the way? And why couldn't US 41 and I-70 be an "international trade route?"
"Our state has made tremendous progress on Interstate 69 and it is projected this summer to be the largest transportation project in the entire country. Evansville, Washington, Petersburg, Loogootee, and numerous other communities in southwest Indiana have waited decades to be fully linked to the state's economy job creation and build a safer connection to our rural areas."

We have not made "progress" with I-69. We have failed to build a stronger connection to any city directly north of us such as Vincenness and Terre Haute. We have failed to connect those cities to Bloomington which would have been possible under the 2nd alternative in the I-69 analysis. Also, we have wasted billions, not millions, on this project while having to scramble for money for projects like the Sherman Minton Bridge because no funds were left over from Major Moves.

I-69 is safer? It may be safER but it definitely isn't safe. We've seen two fatal accidents on I-164, which will become I-69, just this past year...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/dec/20/fourth-person-dies-result-i-164-crash/

Why does anyone look at this road as safe?

"With the project under construction and finally becoming a reality, attempts to temporarily halt or delay the project through procedural actions, or the court system, is a waste of taxpayer money and a complete disregard to the majority of citizens who support this project."

This project will cost well over $5 billion when it's done. It is this road itself that is the waste of taxpayer dollars. And since when did the majority of citizens support this project? Bloomington doesn't support it, Martinsville doesn't support it, and Indianapolis thinks it needs to take a different route. Not to mention Terre Haute doesn't support the new terrain route. It's Evansville and that's it that supports this boondoggle.

Unfortunately, there were some things we didn't hear today such as the following...

1. This road is coming up short on the amount of jobs per billion spent on it. Only 4,000-5,000 jobs are expected to be created which does count the jobs that will simply move over from US 41. In contrast, high speed rail creates 20,000 jobs for every billion spent on it. This doesn't include the manufacturing companies that follow it such as Alstom who wanted to create 5,000 jobs in Wisconsin before their governor turned down their high speed rail line.

2. We didn't hear about the environmental damage this project will cause. Something tells me that if this road were going through Wesselman Woods like it is going through the Patoka Wild Life Refuge we'd be hearing a different story.

3. We didn't hear about the costs of this road which will certainly hamper its completion along State Road 37 and the Ohio River.

4. We didn't hear about the cities being left out of the project such as Vincennes, Terre Haute, and Sullivan. We also don't hear about how close cities like Petersberg, Washington, and Evansville are to US 41.

5. We didn't hear anything about US 41 which will certainly need to be upgraded or scaled down from its present state. We didn't hear why it is US 41 that is creating more jobs than I-69 because of its close proximity to a CSX rail line running from Nashville to Chicago and even has a spur to Indianapolis.

6. We still heard nothing about high speed rail.

#6 is the most disappointing part about today. During his campaign, Mayor Winnecke released a plan called "Moving Evansville Forward" that consisted of 5 components...

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/Moving_Evansville_Forward.pdf

1. Improving Our City Roads and Highways
2. Investing in Public Transportation
3. Finish I-69
4. Strengthen Our Airport
5. Utilize Railways

Yet as of today, 4 out of the 5 have receieved attention...

1. The mayor held a roads town hall meeting(s).
2. The mayor extended the METS bus route on the north side.
3. The mayor lobbied Bloomington to include I-69 today.
4. Our airport is getting new connectors for passengers to walk between the airport and their airplane.
5. ????????

Of the 5 ideas, only #5 really makes any sense. #1 is easily the biggest drain on our city budget, #2 is just a duct-tape version of a transportation plan that's an alternative to the automobile, #3 is a complete boondoggle, and #4 makes no economic sense at all when we can build a bullet train to Louisville, St. Louis, and Chicago who have bigger and cheaper airports.

So as we sit here and ignore high speed rail in favor of an interstate boondoggle, the rest of the Midwest is planning...



The question now becomes: When? When will Evansville wake up and join the rest of the Midwest, the U.S, and the world in building 21st century transportation? When will we invest in high speed rail which is profitable instead of roads which are expensive and never pay for themselves? Lastly, when will we commit to a transportation mode like high speed rail which is cheaper, safer, faster, quieter, greener, healthier, and more productive?

Although Bloomington ended up giving in to those at INDOT and Evansville who want to build this road at all costs, I am still proud of the Bloomington MPO for taking a stand. They are much better off for it. We certainly know that Bloomington is in much better shape than Evansville.

Please Support The Midwest High Speed Rail Association With A Bumper Sticker Purchase

If we are going to be successful in bringing high speed rail to Evansville, the Midwest, and the United States as a whole, we MUST get the word out about high speed rail while supporting those organizations that are working to bring high speed rail to our communities.

To accomplish this goal, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association will mail you a high speed rail bumper sticker, poster, hat, or water bottle depending on how much you donate to the organization...

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2228/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=7924

I have already ordered my bumper sticker (which you can see on the top of this post) because I feel passionate about the need for the U.S to get away from the automobile and into a high speed rail train. Just today, I had to pay $150 to have a used regulator installed on my car to get my window to roll up.

We cannot maintain the status quo with our transportation. The automobile and our highway system are responsible for over 30,000 deaths, numerous property damage and bodily injuries, countless pounds of pollution, four times as much taxpayer dollars to construct and maintain, and it is breaking the budget of our middle class who is unable to keep up with fees from the BMV, auto insurance, car maintenance, car payments, and gas prices.

If you are committed to bringing Evansville into the 21st century like I am, please support the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. It is vital that this organization has the proper funding to lobby our political leaders to bring high speed rail to the Midwest. We need to get our political leaders here in Evansville to commit to joining the Midwest High Speed Rail Association's plan to bring 220 + mph bullet trains to all states in the Midwest...



That goal starts with your support of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association by purchasing a bumper sticker and displaying it on your automobile. Please support the Midwest High Speed Rail Association!

Why Did Dennis Avery Select Chicago Over Indianapolis?

(destination360.com)

Back in 2009, we were fortunate to have a glimmer of hope for passenger rail coming to Evansville when State Representative Dennis Avery tried to get $300,000 from Indianapolis to study an Evansville to Chicago route...

http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.aspSectionID=31&subsectionID=298&articleID=47391

"I believe there are some people that would much prefer to put their car in the garage and take the train," Avery said.

This was the first time, in a long time, that we came close to actually pursuing passenger rail in Evansville. Although Avery said the study wouldn't have been for high speed rail, it would indeed have connected into the high speed rail grid...

"The network Obama unveiled amplifies Chicago's role as a key hub and includes high-speed routes that would connect Chicago to Indianapolis, and then Indianapolis to both Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati. But Evansville wouldn't be connected to those routes.

Avery said the fact that major Indiana cities such as Evansville and Terre Haute are close to the network "basically points out the importance of having a study to see if western Indiana would be a desirable route.""

Unfortunately, when budget talks heated up in Indianapolis, the study was scrapped. I found this to be nothing short of hypocritical for Indianapolis to claim there is no money to study a passenger rail route for Evansville when they are planning on spending well over $5 billion on Interstate 69.

Nonetheless, some of those who opposed or were skeptical of the study wanted Avery to pursue an Evansville to Indianapolis route instead of one going to Chicago...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/03/high-speed-rail-the-issue-amtrak-looks-to-our-we/

"Here in Indiana, much of the talk and hope has been about linking Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville and Cincinnati as part of a Midwest high-speed rail network. While Evansville isn't on that map, State Rep. Dennis Avery attempted last year to secure $300,000 for a study of passenger rail service between Evansville and Chicago. We felt at the time that an Evansville-to-Indianapolis route might find more support in Southern Indiana, but alas, it didn't matter. Avery's request was erased from the proposed state budget amid worries about more immediate state needs."

Of course, as we all know the Evansville Courier & Press published the above article as one of their latest attempts to stop anything that they feel would threaten their boondoggle known as I-69 from being completed. So much for "more immediate state needs." However, there are some who support rail but question why Chicago should receive priority over Indianapolis even though Indianapolis is our state capital.

One organization, The Transport Politic, even proposed a route from St. Louis to Louisville going through Evansville but did not include any routes from Evansville to Chicago or Indianapolis...

http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/02/01/a-future-interstate-rail-network-redux/



But there is a reason for this selection. If you look at the overall goal for high speed rail...



You will see that both St. Louis and Louisville are important hubs connecting to the ultimate hub for the Midwest High Speed Rail Network- Chicago.

And if you look at the Midwest High Speed Rail Network specifically...

(indygov.org)

You will notice that all rail lines in the Midwest will head to Chicago. Why is this? Because there is a new economic model emerging in the United States. This model is called megaregions. What are megaregions?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaregions_of_the_United_States

"A Megaregion, also known as a Megalopolis or Megapolitan Area, refers to a clustered network of American cities whose population ranges or is projected to range from about 7 to 63 million by the year 2025.

A megaregion is a large network of metropolitan regions that share several or all of the following:

Environmental systems and topography
Infrastructure systems
Economic linkages
Settlement and land use patterns
Culture and history

The Regional Plan Association recognizes 11 emerging megaregions:

Arizona Sun Corridor Megaregion
Cascadia Megaregion
Florida Megaregion
Front Range Megaregion
Great Lakes Megaregion
Gulf Coast Megaregion
Northeast Megaregion
Northern California Megaregion
Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion
Southern California Megaregion
Texas Triangle Megaregion

More than 70 percent of the nation's population and jobs are located in 11 megaregions identified by Regional Plan Association."

Here is a map of the 11 megaregions...

http://www.rpa.org/america2050/sync/elements/america2050map.png

Why is it important to have a direct route to Chicago, the capital of our megaregion?

1. The vast majority of flights over 600 miles leaving the megaregion will go through Chicago.

2. The vast majority of goods that are being shipped to the Midwest will go through Chicago.

3. The vast majority of the population in the Midwest will either live in Chicago or on a high speed rail line that goes directly to Chicago.

4. Having a direct line to Chicago will allow us to reach the rest of the Midwest Network as they will have direct lines running into Chicago as well.

5. Having a direct line to Chicago will allow us to tap into their human intellectual knowledge as well due to the fact that the entire Chicago population will be within a few hours of reaching Evansville.

There are also a few other minor reasons why a route to Chicago should take priority over Indianapolis...

1. Evansville to Chicago is served by a CSX-Class I Railroad which makes it an easier line to upgrade for high speed rail.

2. Evansville to Chicago also has a CSX side spur at Terre Haute that goes to Indianapolis making an Evansville-Terre Haute-Indianapolis route cheaper and more productive that an Evansville-Bloomington-Indianapolis route.

3. Chicago already has a bigger population than Indianapolis.

So while reaching Indianapolis, the capital of our state, may seem to be the best solution, reaching Chicago, the capital of our megaregion makes much more sense.

If Evansville is truly going to join the rest of the Midwest in establishing both national and international connections, we must send politicians to Indianapolis who share the same vision that Dennis Avery had for Evansville.

We must go to Chicago before we go to Indianapolis!

Let's Make Lloyd Winnecke Evansville's First High Speed Rail Mayor

(courierpress.com)

Now that the election is over, it is now more than clear that Evansville is divided by more than US 41. Yesterday's election was gut wrenching if you supported Rick Davis for mayor (as I did) or it was legendary if you supported Lloyd Winnecke for mayor.

First and foremost, thank you Treasurer Rick Davis for running for mayor. Of all of the campaigns I have worked on, which includes several in Lexington, KY, a few in Seattle, WA, and a few here in Evansville, this has been the most fulfilling one for me. I will never forget it and I am thoroughly saddened that it's over. At Rick's town hall meetings, several rail supporters came to him with questions about Evansville's future in passenger rail. Rick gave his full support for high speed rail and he said he would fight for it. Thank you Rick for listening to the High Speed Rail Movement!

Next, I would like to congratulate Commissioner Winnecke on becoming our 34th mayor. Commissioner Winnecke has worked hard for Evansville, and I appreciate him willing to take on the task of being mayor for Evansville.

So with all of that being said, Evansville is at a crossroads (no pun intended) when it comes to transportation. We can continue going down that same path known as the interstates that aren't safe, they aren't productive for job creation, they aren't clean, they aren't fast, they aren't cheap or affordable, and they have taken their toll on the environment.

Or, we can choose to go down a new path. That path is high speed rail. High speed rail offers Evansville a chance of a lifetime. With high speed rail, we have the opportunity to create jobs by the thousands with a slack water port next to our rail lines (both passenger and freight), the opportunity to transport residents safely as high speed rail has only had one fatal accident in its 47 year history, the opportunity to clean up our environmental emissions, the opportunity to save farmland, the opportunity to prevent urban sprawl, the opportunity to work in Bloomington while living in Evansville, and the opportunity to finally join the rest of the U.S in the 21st century.

During this past election, Commissioner Winnecke indicated support for both I-69 and high speed rail. Although we are a divided city right now, we absolutely, positively need to make Commissioner & Mayor-Elect Winnecke aware of the benefits of choosing rails over roads.

In his plan "Moving Evansville Forward," Commissioner Winnecke said the following about high speed rail...

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/Moving_Evansville_Forward.pdf

"Passenger rail in Indiana is currently limited to the northern and middle sections of the state. INDOT released the Indiana Rail Plan in 2009. The report acknowledged the potential economic benefit an increased passenger rail system would have on Indiana. This is why it is imperative that Evansville be included in any future plans for an extended passenger rail network. Current plans for improved rail coverage in Indiana woefully omit Evansville as a stop on any potential passenger rail system. As mayor, I will insist that Evansville be placed on any map as a stop on a new Midwest rail system.

There has also been a push at the federal level to encourage the development of high speed rail in the middle region of the country. The Federal Rail Administration has identified High Speed Rail Corridors throughout the country. One of these corridors connects Chicago, IL to Louisville, KY. The latest plan also neglects Evansville as a primary or secondary hub for this system. Once again, I will fight for the people of Evansville to be certain that our city is properly connected to a Midwest High Speed Rail system and takes full advantage of any economic benefit. "

This is a very well-written and thought out statement from Mr. Winnecke. I thank him for his willingness to embrace high speed rail in a town that doesn't like change. I, and I hope you will join me, must make sure Mr. Winnecke sticks to his campaign promise once he becomes mayor.

For those who aren't familiar with the Midwest High Speed Rail Movement, please check out these links in this post...

http://evansvillerail.blogspot.com/2011/06/take-look-at-our-high-speed-rail-region.html

Those who oppose high speed rail have tried all kinds of scare tactics. They have tried the following...

1. Claiming high speed rail is only being pursued in the Northeast Corridor and California. They are wrong, high speed rail is coming to the Midwest, and we must build into the system.

2. Said high speed rail is unaffordable. Yet, on average, high speed rail costs 1/4th the price of interstates.

3. Said high speed rail is a money loser. They are wrong big time on this claim. High speed rail is profitable while interstates don't even come close...

http://evansvillerail.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-makes-financial-sense-to-build-high.html

I have no doubt that high speed rail opponents will continue to use these scare tactics as well and many others. For this reason, if we are ever going to get high speed rail in Evansville, our leader and our mayor Lloyd Winnecke must be in full support of high speed rail. This is what happens when you don't prepare for high speed rail...

http://www.wndu.com/hometop/headlines/83076777.html

I trust Lloyd Winnecke will make the right decision on high speed rail. He has the ability to influence our economic development coalition, our chamber of commerce, the Evansville Courier & Press, our state and federal leaders, and many more who have the power to pursue high speed rail.

Congratulations Commissioner Lloyd Winnecke and I hope you will give high speed rail a chance!

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenmosleymp/5866326058/)