VSM in Russia. high speed rail

high speed railways

A review of the history of the development of high-speed and high-speed passenger trains on the railways of the world is given. The characteristics of many already operated and still being designed high-speed specialized highways (HSR) are given; the technical and operational, socio-economic, environmental advantages of high-speed lines over other types of passenger transport are outlined.

It is intended for students of transport specialties studying the disciplines: "General course of railways", "General course of railway lines", "Survey and design of railways" and others. It will be useful for graduate students and researchers studying the problems of high-speed and high-speed passenger trains on the railways of the world.

The reviewer is Professor of the Department of Railway Stations and Junctions of MIIT B. F. Shaulsky.

Introduction

High-speed railways include lines on which in commercial operation the movement of specialized rolling stock is carried out at speeds of more than 200 km / h with a given level of safety and comfort, which is ensured by the adopted design parameters, engineering solutions, proper construction and technological execution of structures and infrastructure , as well as efficient system control, maintenance and repair of rolling stock and stationary devices.

concept high speed rail It was established in the 60-70s of the XX century after the commissioning of the first specialized railway Tokyo - Osaka in Japan in 1964.

In Russian literature in last years the abbreviation VSM is used - high-speed highway, which is understood as a high-speed main railway line.

The highest speed on high-speed rail was reached in France on May 18, 1990 and amounted to 515.3 km/h.

In total, more than 5 thousand km of high-speed lines are operated in the world (see Appendix 1, Table 1.1). Taking into account the reconstructed lines, the range of circulation of high-speed trains exceeds 16 thousand km. Since 1964, over 6 billion passengers have been transported on them; more than 1.2 thousand high-speed trains run daily according to the schedule.

Background of high-speed rail

Even in the period of the birth of railway transport, one of its patriarchs, George Stephenson, the builder of the first public railways, noted that "a railway carriage and rails should be considered as a single transport machine." Speed, like no other indicator, characterizes the “unity” of this machine, based on the optimal matching of the track structure and rolling stock to each other. The increase in the maximum, and more importantly, the average speed of trains requires great organizational and technical efforts and capital investments.

Various publications on the history of railways published in different countries often provide very contradictory information about the chronology of increasing speeds on railways. We tried to rely on the most authoritative publications.

As noted above, an increase in the speed of movement is the result of the integrated development of both rolling stock and stationary devices and the entire infrastructure - tracks, power supply systems, automation, telemechanics, communications, etc. However, in the historical literature describing the development of railways, the definition of the stages of application of certain means of traction in transport has become dominant.

In the brief historical review given below, we also proceeded from the established practice, highlighting the periods of use of steam traction, internal combustion engines, and the use of electric rolling stock.

Use of steam power for high-speed traffic

The first rail speed record was officially registered in October 1829 in Great Britain on the railway Manchester - Liverpool where it was held open competition for selection the best remedy traction according to previously published conditions for high-speed testing of locomotives on a horizontal straight section of track 2.8 km long near the town of Rainhill.

On October 8, 1829, the Rocket steam locomotive, which was built by George and Robert Stephenson (father and son), reached a record speed of 24 mph (38.6 km / h; according to some historical data - 29 mph, that is 46.6 km / h) and was declared the winner of the competition.

A kind of “borderline” that separates ordinary traffic from high-speed traffic has become a round figure of 100 miles / h (160.9 km / h), which many generations of railroad workers have striven for.

Ya. V. Shotlender, the author of one of the well-known works on the history of the steam locomotive of the early 20th century, wrote that a hundred miles of speed was overcome in September 1839 on the road Great Western in Great Britain a single steam locomotive Hurricane (in the lane from English: Hurricane) type 1-1-4 with a driving wheel diameter of 10 feet (3048 mm).

July 20, 1890 France steam locomotive "Crampton" No. 604 type 2-1-0 with a train weighing 157 tons developed on the main speed 144 km/h.

May 10 (according to other sources - May 11), 1893 in United States of America Empire State Express train with steam locomotive No. 999 type 2-2-0 on the railroad New York Central and Hudson River downhill at 2.8‰ reached a speed of 112.5 mph (181 km/h). Despite the fact that this fact is often mentioned in the literature, some researchers question it. So, R. Tufnell, although he cites these data, notes, based on the results of traction and energy calculations, that the speed could not exceed 130 km / h. Historian M. Hughes, in his book "Rails 300", cites this fact with the note "not officially confirmed."

In 1932 by order German state railway companies Henschel and son and Wegman and son jointly produced a high-speed steam locomotive of the 2-3-2 type, which was assigned the series 61. On February 25, 1936, this locomotive with a train weighing 125 tons during an experimental trip from Berlin to Hamburg reached a speed of 175 km / h.

firm Borzig a high-speed steam locomotive of the 2-3-2 series 05 type was created with driving wheels with a diameter of 2300 mm and a three-cylinder steam engine, which on May 11, 1936, with a train weighing 200 tons, on a demonstration trip from Hamburg to Berlin, developed a speed of 200.4 km / h.

Some of the most famous steam-powered express trains in the world in the 1920s and 1930s were american trains New York - Chicago with the brand name "Twentieth Century". Since 1927, these trains have been served by steam locomotives of the J3a series of type 2-3-2, and since 1937 - by the J3s series, equipped with boiler cowlings and running gear.

Company New York Central became the first to use this type of steam locomotives on the line New York - Chicago for driving heavy (weighing up to 1000 tons) high-speed passenger trains. The express traveled the whole way in 16 hours at an average speed of 80 mph (128 km/h).

In 1935 the firm Alco Chicago, Milwaukee, Saint Paul and Pacific produced a steam locomotive of the A series of type 2-2-1. The locomotive was intended for high-speed trains on the line Chicago twin cities: Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The express was given the brand name "Hiawatha" in honor of the hero of the epic of the North American Indians. The words of the poet Henry Longfellow were chosen as the motto of the new high-speed route: "Easy step at Hiawatha ..."

The Hiawatha Express became the symbol of the American steam-powered high-speed trains of the late 1930s. The distance of 663 km between Chicago and the twin cities, this train, consisting of 9 cars with a series A steam locomotive, covered in 6 hours and 15 minutes with a maximum speed limit of up to 160 km / h.

In 1938, new, more powerful high-speed locomotives of the F7 series of the 2-3-2 type were built for the express, capable of driving a train of 12 cars at a speed of 193 km / h. According to authoritative historians, these locomotives were the best model of high-speed American steam locomotives.

On a test run in 1940, a 12-car train of 550 tons with an F7 steam locomotive reached a speed of 125 mph (201.1 km/h), however, this record was not officially registered.

In the 30s in Soviet Union on the basis of domestic developments and taking into account advanced foreign experience, primarily the United States, a lot of work was carried out to create new steam locomotives.

In February 1932, according to the preliminary design of the Technical Bureau of the Transport Department of the United State political management(OGPU) design institute "Lokomotivproekt" of the People's Commissariat for Heavy Industry (Narkomtyazhprom) developed a project for a new passenger steam locomotive of the 1-4-2 type, which was built by the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant in October 1932 and received the serial name IS (Joseph Stalin).

The steam locomotives of the IS series, which had a design speed of 115 km/h, showed high performance and were accepted as the main type of the renewed fleet of passenger locomotives.

The experience of creating locomotives of the IS series was used in the design and manufacture of experimental high-speed steam locomotives. In 1935-36. at the Kolomna Machine-Building Plant, under the guidance of engineers L. S. Lebedyansky and M. N. Shchukin, a project was developed and in 1937 a high-speed steam locomotive of the 2-3-2 type was manufactured, covered with a fairing hood and having drive wheels with a diameter of 2000 mm.

June 29, 1938 on the line Leningrad - Moscow this steam locomotive with a composition of 14 axles reached a speed of 170 km / h, setting an absolute speed record for the USSR for a steam-powered train.

The second version of the Soviet experimental high-speed steam locomotive was a machine of the 2-3-2 type under No. 6998 of the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Plant, created under the guidance of engineer D.V. FD (Felix Dzerzhinsky). Steam locomotive type 2-3-2 No. 6998 was tested on the South-Donetsk railway, where, on a slope of 6 ‰ with a train weighing 850 tons, it reached a speed of 100 km / h.

The creation of high-speed steam locomotives and test trips at speeds of more than 150 km/h gave invaluable experience to domestic science and engineering practice. The Great Patriotic War interrupted these works, and further development High-speed traffic in the USSR in the post-war period was already carried out with the use of new types of traction - diesel and electric.

the best British high-speed steam locomotives were machines of the 2-3-1 type of the A4 series, created by order of the railway company London - North Eastern Railway.

On July 3, 1938, the steam locomotive of this series No. 4468 "Mallard" with a train weighing 216 tons reached a speed of 125 miles / h (201.1 km / h). These data appear in railway encyclopedias, as well as in the Guinness book as an absolute and unsurpassed speed record for a steam-powered train.

The first experiments on the use of electric traction for high-speed and high-speed railway traffic

In the mid-90s of the XIX century, the two largest German electrical companies Siemens and Halske and AEG with the support of the Prussian military department, they formed a consortium called Electric High-Speed ​​Railway Research Group, who electrified an experimental military railway using a three-phase system with three side contact wires Marienfeld - Zossen 23.3 km long in the suburbs of Berlin.

By 1901, each of the companies that were part of the consortium produced one high-speed electric car. October 23, 1903 Siemens and Halske reached a speed of 206.8 km/h, and the electric car of the company AEG On October 27, he showed a record speed of 210 km / h.

The experiments in Zossen, during which a world speed record was set for a rail vehicle, confirmed the fundamental possibility of using electric traction for high-speed movement.

However, electric cars with asynchronous motors and the entire power supply system, tested in 1901-1903. at the Marienfeld-Zossen test site, were, in fact, a large experimental laboratory facility and turned out to be unsuitable for commercial operation.

The use of internal combustion engines for high-speed traffic on railways

In the 20-30s in Germany experiments were carried out to create high-speed rolling stock with propeller traction and aircraft engines.

On June 21, 1931, the air car, designed by Dr. F. Krukenberg, nicknamed by journalists “Zeppelin on Rails” for its resemblance to the airships of F. Zeppelin, set a speed record of 230 km / h during an experimental trip between Hamburg and Berlin. Aerovagon was a two-axle railway carriage, the body of which was made of light alloys and had a streamlined shape. A four-blade pusher propeller mounted at the rear of the machine was driven by a 12-cylinder 441 kW gasoline engine. The aircraft was not used in commercial operation.

In 1933 on the route Berlin - Hamburg express trains were introduced, which later received the brand name "Flying Hamburger". The movement was carried out by diesel railcars of the SVT 877 series, which consisted of two articulated cars on an intermediate bogie. The technical highlight of the project was the economical Maybach diesel engine with a capacity of 301 kW, which was installed in each of the cars and through electrical transmission set the driving axles in rotation.

Already on the first trip on May 15, 1933, the railcar SVT 877 exceeded the 100 speed limit, reaching 165 km / h, and on schedule it broke the record of the British express "Flying Scotsman", which was the reason for assigning the name "Flying Hamburger" to the train.

June 23, 1939 German three-car diesel train, built by F. Krukenberg, on an experimental trip on the route Hamburg - Berlin developed a maximum speed of 215 km / h.

One of the first and very successful attempts to use an internal combustion engine for high-speed traffic in USA became diesel train "Pioneer Zephyr" on the line Burlington, which links Chicago with the twin cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Diesel train "Pioneer Zephyr" was manufactured by Budd in 1934. The train consisted of three articulated cars on intermediate bogies. The success of the project was largely ensured by the use of a light and powerful diesel engine of the 201A series of the company General Motors.

In early April 1934, during testing, the Pioneer Zephyr train reached a speed of 167.3 km / h. On May 26, 1934, the Pioneer Zephyr traveled 1690 km between the cities of Denver and Chicago in 13 hours at an average speed of 130 km/h. At that time, the best steam-powered train ran this route on schedule in 26 hours and 45 minutes.

In October of the same year, the railway company Union Pacific demonstrated its new high-speed diesel train M10001 series, designed for a maximum speed of 192 km / h, on a trip “from ocean to ocean”. It had 6 cars, in the head one there was a diesel generator set with a capacity of 883 kW, which supplied electricity to two traction motors of the first bogie.

On October 22, the M10001 train, having covered a distance of 5216 km in 57 hours, arrived in New York, showing an average technical speed of 91.5 km / h - the highest in the world for such a long distance.

In France in 1937, a high-speed diesel locomotive of the 262BD1 series was built, with a total power of 2944 kW in two sections, designed to service Paris-Riviera express trains at speeds up to 130 km / h.

Good results have been achieved in France in high-speed traffic on the line Paris - Lyon and the Mediterranean railcars "Bugatti Royale". They had four Royal engines (147 kW each), which ran on a mixture of benzene and alcohol. The technical novelty of the railcar was unique four-axle bogies, two per car, the wheels of which had rubber liners between the centers and tires. Motrices "Bugatti Royale" developed a speed of over 170 km / h, but due to legislative restrictions, they were operated at maximum speeds of up to 120 km / h.

After the Second World War, significant results in the use of diesel traction in high-speed traffic were achieved in Great Britain with the help of Deltic diesel locomotives, and then the Intercity 125 diesel trains, which reached a maximum speed of 125 mph (201.1 km / h) and are noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest diesel trains.

AT Russia On October 5, 1993, a speed record was set for a single diesel locomotive. On the stretch Gateway - Doroshikha line Petersburg - Moscow the diesel locomotive TEP80 reached a speed of 271 km/h in the test run. This speed is also a national record for Russian railways.

The use of electric traction for high-speed and high-speed traffic

In 1933-1943. in France 48 high-speed electric locomotives were manufactured, which received the 9100 series after the war. The locomotive was capable of driving express trains at speeds up to 140 km / h.

One of the most powerful high-speed passenger electric locomotives built in prewar period, was Soviet experimental locomotive PB 21-01 (named after the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks).

During tests on January 5, 1935, this electric locomotive with a train weighing 713 tons, consisting of 17 four-axle cars, reached a speed of 98 km / h, and during a flight with one dynamometer car - 127 km / h.

In 1940 in United States of America commissioned by the railway company Chicago, North Sho and Milwaukee A high-speed electric train "Electroliner" was created, consisting of four articulated cars of short length (11.8 m), based on intermediate bogies, which allowed the train to pass small-radius curves in the center of Chicago along the overpass city railroad. On the coastal main line, the Electroliner trains moved at speeds up to 140 km/h.

The train was designed to operate on 600 V DC electrified lines powered by overhead wire or third conductor rail within the Chicago City Trestle Railroad. The train had 8 traction engines with a total power of 1600 kW.

Two Electroliner trains were operated until 1963.

In the 30s in Italy A high-speed electric train ETR 200 was created, designed to operate on electrified DC lines with a voltage of 3 kV. The train consisted of 3 cars with a total weight of 110 tons and had a total power of traction motors equal to 1100 kW.

On July 20, 1939, a demonstration trip of this electric train from Florence to Milan took place. The entire route, 314 km long, was covered by the train in 1 hour and 55 minutes at an average speed of 164 km/h, with a short-term speed of 202.8 km/h. Prior to the start of HSR operation in Japan in 1964, this was the highest result.

In 1955 in France electric locomotives of the SS 7100 and VV 9000 series, operating on direct current, each with a train of three cars with a total weight of 111 tons, exceeded the 300-kilometer speed mark.

The experiments were carried out on a specially prepared section 66 km long of the line Paris - Orleans. Locomotives designed for high-speed trips have been upgraded. Traction motors, gearboxes, axleboxes and wheel sets were tested on a test bench for a rotation speed equivalent to linear speed locomotive movement 450 km/h.

On March 29, 1955, an electric locomotive of the VV 9000 series with a train of three cars set a speed record - 331 km / h. The day before, March 28, an electric locomotive of the SS 7100 series with the same composition reached a speed of 326 km/h.

October 1, 1964 in Japan an event occurred that marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of railway transport - the emergence of specialized high-speed railway lines (HSR). On this day, the permanent operation of the HSR began. Tokyo - Osaka 515.4 km long, designed for the movement of new generation trains, which later received the serial name 0 (“zero”), at speeds up to 210 km/h. The implementation of this comprehensive project, which included the creation of new track devices, artificial structures, power supply systems and ensuring the safety of train traffic, other infrastructure elements, as well as specialized rolling stock, made it possible for the first time in the world to organize mass rail passenger transportation at a speed of more than 200 km/h.

All further achievements in the field of mastering high speeds on rails were associated with the use of specialized high-speed highways.

In 1981 in France as a result of the program, which was carried out for more than 20 years, the first high-speed line in Europe was opened to train traffic Paris - Lyon. For operation on this highway, a new generation train TGV was created.

On February 26, 1981, a new speed record was set by the TGV PSE electric train (train No. 16) on an experimental trip along this highway - 380.4 km / h.

In 1985 in Germany as a result of the implementation of a long-term plan for the organization of high-speed traffic in railway transport, a five-car train of an experimental electric train was manufactured, which received the name ICE-V.

May 1, 1988 between 285 and 295 kilometers of the high-speed highway Fulda - Würzburg the ICE-V train reached a speed of over 400 km/h. The decoding of the record on the speedometer tape showed that at the moment of exit from the Sinnbirch tunnel the speed of the train was 406.9 km/h. This new world record put the West German manufacturers of high-speed rolling stock ahead for a time.

From November 1988 to France an extensive program of testing a second-generation high-speed train, TGV A, was launched. An experimental 280 km track section of the newly built HSR Atlantic was determined between 135 and 179 kilometers. The almost straight track had several curves with a radius of 15 km.

As an experimental train for high-speed tests, a serial train TGV A No. 325 was chosen, on which some improvements and changes were made. On December 3, 1989, this train, consisting of two locomotives and four cars, set a speed record - 482.4 km / h.

For several months, work was underway to further improve the train, the composition of which was reduced by one trailer car.

On May 9, 1990, the speed of the train exceeded 500 km/h, its peak value was 510.6 km/h.

On May 18, 1990, another experimental trip took place, which ended with the setting of a world speed record, which has been held to this day. At 10:06 a.m., a figure of 515.3 km/h appeared on the speedometer of the electric train.

Basic concepts of high-speed movement. Specifications and engineering solutions for high-speed railways

The economic and social efficiency of high-speed railways on a national scale, a relatively small negative impact on the environment in comparison with other modes of transport public opinion in developed countries in favor of high-speed rail.

Taking into account the undeniable advantages of high-speed lines, decisions on the construction of such lines were taken as government programs in many countries. In Europe, these plans have reached the interstate level.

There is no unambiguous, objectively existing boundary that defines the zone of high-speed traffic in railway transport, such as, for example, the “sound barrier” in aviation.

Back in the middle of the 20th century, the category of “high-speed” railway transport included movement at speeds of 140 ... 160 km / h. Over the past 50 years, the high speed limit has risen to 200 km/h. This value, currently accepted in many countries, is largely conventional and historically established. However, there are still prerequisites for the definition, albeit somewhat blurred, of a high-speed traffic zone.

For traditional rail transport system wheel-rail when crossing the speed limit of 200 ... 250 km/h, there is a significant increase in resistance to the movement of rolling stock and, as a result, an increase in energy costs for train traction.

For traffic speeds above 200 km/h, other technical standards are required and higher equipment of stationary devices, infrastructure and rolling stock than on conventional lines, which leads to an increase in capital costs for construction, the cost of rolling stock and higher operating costs, which, however, is offset by a high economic and social effect in mass passenger traffic.

The maximum speeds of trains on the HSR in commercial operation, depending on the specific conditions and design solutions (design parameters of the lines), are 250 ... 350 km/h. This is determined by calculations and confirmed by operating experience. When providing a given level of safety and comfort, high-speed railways are economically and socially more attractive in comparison with other modes of transport, especially for mass transportation of passengers on day trips over distances of 400 ... 800 km in cars with seats and 1700 ... 2500 km - in sleeping cars night trains.

Today, the following gradation of speeds in passenger traffic has developed:

Up to 140 … 160 km/h - train traffic on conventional railways; up to 200 km/h - high-speed train traffic, as a rule, on reconstructed lines; over 200 km/h - high speed movement on specially built HSR.

A comparison of high-speed rail, air and road transport shows that at distances of the order of 400 ... 800 km, high-speed trains, providing a higher level of comfort and safety, provide the passenger with greater travel speed (shorter travel time). An additional convenience is that HSR trains depart and arrive at stations located in close proximity to city centers.

The experience of all implemented HSR projects in the world has shown that in transport corridors, after the start of operation of high-speed trains, there is a redistribution of passenger traffic in favor of high-speed rail transport.

It is extremely important that high-speed lines, in comparison with air and road transport, have the lowest specific emission of pollutants into the environment; with equal passenger flows, they occupy smaller areas than is required for highways and airports.

The organization of the commercial movement of trains with speeds of more than 200 km/h with a high level of safety and comfort for the regular transportation of a large number of people, and in some cases the delivery of special cargo, required the creation of new technical means of railway transport.

Conditionally, with a certain degree of simplification and approximation, three main conceptual approaches to the organization of high-speed traffic can be distinguished.

Japanese and Spanish the concepts provide for the construction of high-speed lines, the track (rail) system of which is completely isolated from the rest of the country's railway network.

french the concept involves the construction of new high-speed lines that are part of the overall network, but are intended exclusively for high-speed rolling stock.

Italian and German the concepts consist in a comprehensive reconstruction of railway lines, which involves the construction of high-speed sections and the modernization of existing lines, the straightening of the main tracks in order to organize high-speed and high-speed traffic.

Let's briefly dwell on each of them.

AT Japan by virtue of historical reasons and topographic conditions, railways were built with a narrow gauge - 1067 mm. High-speed lines in this country are being built using the so-called "Stephenson" gauge of 1435 mm. They, with the exception of special sections, called "mini-Shinkansen", are completely isolated from the rest of the railway network.

Just like in Japan, in Spain the HSR rail system of the 1435 mm standard gauge is separated from the general railway network of the 1668 mm gauge.

A certain difference in the situation in these countries, with the similarity of the concept of creating a high-speed railway, is that in Spain trains of the Talgo type (see below) go to the high-speed lines, the cars of which have a wheel set device that allows you to move along the track with different gauges (1668/1435).

Japan and Spain have built special stations on the high-speed railway, but in some cases the tracks for high-speed rolling stock have been connected to the platforms of existing railway stations.

In France special highways were built for high-speed traffic. Because the HSR and the conventional rail network share the same 1435 mm gauge, high-speed trains can join conventional lines, which increases the service area. However, conventional railroad rolling stock never enters high-speed lines. As a rule, in large cities, HSR trains are served at existing stations, which were reconstructed and expanded before the start of HSR operation. There are also new stations and stations built for the HSR. For example, in the suburbs of Paris, for the first time, a combined station was put into operation on the HSR - Charles de Gaulle Roissy Airport, where passengers are transferred directly from trains to planes and back.

AT Italy and Germany on the reconstructed railway lines, a mixed operation of high-speed and conventional passenger trains, as well as accelerated freight trains is carried out.

When organizing high-speed rail traffic in these countries, a comprehensive modernization of railway sections was carried out. New high-speed lines were built, and the old railways of this corridor were modernized with the installation of numerous connections with high-speed lines. Ultimately, this made it possible to obtain railway lines with three, four and sometimes five tracks, as a rule, impersonal; on some of them, for a considerable distance, it is possible to carry out the movement of trains at speeds of more than 200 km/h. Such railway lines are operationally flexible, allowing, if necessary, to provide movement along all tracks in one direction.

At designing VSR, unlike conventional railways, the main task was to trace the line using horizontal curves of large radii - from 4 to 7 km. The exception was the first high-speed line Tokyo - Osaka(Japan), where the minimum radius was taken to be 2.5 km.

At the same time, in the 60s of the XX century, a railway rolling stock was created, which is capable of overcoming slopes of much greater steepness at high speeds than was customary on old lines. So, for example, on the French high-speed lines, the maximum slope on long ascents is taken to be 35 ‰, on new lines in Germany - 40 ‰. This makes it possible to reduce the volume of excavation work during construction and, in some cases, to avoid expensive tunnels at the crossing sections. The radius of vertical curves at the conjugation of adjacent profile elements on the HSR ranges from 15 to 30 km. The maximum elevation of the outer rail is 125 ... 180 mm, which, combined with relatively large curve radii, does not create discomfort for passengers when trains move at maximum speed.

Currently, there are several fundamentally different approaches to creating railway track for VSM.

AT Japan on the world's first HSR Tokyo - Osaka a jointless track was laid from rails 53.3 kg / linear meter. m (later replaced by rails weighing 60 kg / running meter) on reinforced concrete sleepers on crushed stone ballast and on a subgrade. The high costs of maintaining a track of a traditional design at high speeds predetermined the further choice of Japanese specialists - the use of rigid (slab) foundations instead of a ballast prism and the almost complete rejection of the subgrade on new high-speed lines. This decision was also prompted by the fact that on the new high-speed lines of Japan, the share of the path on sections with artificial structures was approaching 100%.

In France after the analysis of the Japanese experience, the design of the main tracks of the HSR was adopted, providing for the laying of a seamless track from rails weighing 60.8 kg / running meter. m on a sleeper-ballast base on a subgrade. At the same time, two decisive advantages of the ballast version were taken into account compared to the slab version: a significantly lower price of the structure itself (in areas with a predominance of subgrade) and a greater margin of track stability against transverse shear from the impact of rolling stock.

The shortcomings of the slab foundation on the subgrade, which manifested themselves in Japan, were also taken into account, in particular, the high cost of such a design, the difficulty of eliminating geometric deviations of the track (although they are smaller in size), the lack of a well-established technology for laying the track, and the uncertainty of its behavior on soft soils.

Many years of experience in the operation of the French HSR Paris - Lyon confirmed the high performance and reliability of the track on ballast. It has also been laid on other high-speed rail lines in France, designed for the movement of trains at speeds up to 350 km/h.

AT Germany on the first high-speed lines, preference was given to the track on the subgrade with a ballast prism. However, later, when the problem of building straightening passages with a large number of tunnels and other artificial structures arose, research and testing of the track on a rigid foundation were carried out. As a result, it was found expedient to use the top structure Japanese type with some adjustments by German specialists, adopted in accordance with local conditions.

On first Spanish VSM Madrid-Seville the construction of the path, close to the French one, was applied.

Topographic conditions in the areas of the first promising high-speed lines Russia are close to Western European ones, so it can be considered expedient to use a ballast track on a subgrade using modern technology embankment compaction.

Due to the need to provide a more direct route and the mandatory arrangement of interchanges with other modes of transport at different levels, more are being built on high-speed lines than on conventional lines. artificial structures.

Bridges, viaducts, overpasses on high-speed railways, in order to avoid the formation of S-shaped curves on the approaches to them, are arranged, as a rule, double-track. The rails are laid on a sleeper grid and a ballast layer or on a slab base. Special requirements are imposed on artificial structures due to the specific nature of dynamic loads, vibration and noise characteristics at high speeds. In recent years, preference has been given to structures made of prestressed reinforced concrete.

In the first years of operation of the tunnels on the HSR, specialists encountered the negative consequences of shock sound waves when trains passed tunnels at high speeds. This required the adoption of measures to seal the rolling stock and the installation of various engineering structures in the form of lattice sockets at tunnel portals, additional ventilation tunnels, air chambers, etc., softening the front of the shock wave in front of the train.

Separate items- stations, passing points and control posts - to a large extent determine the level of life support of high-speed and high-speed railway lines.

A feature of the Japanese and Spanish versions, as noted above, is the complete rail autonomy of the HSR from conventional railways. This required the construction of new intermediate passenger stations along the entire length of the high-speed railway with a full range of devices. To ensure a convenient transfer of passengers from trains of conventional lines to high-speed ones and back in Japan and Spain, newly constructed stations are combined on the same site with stations of conventional railways.

The French version provides for the placement on the HSR of only those separate points that are necessary for the organization of train traffic. Passenger operations are transferred to the nearest conventional station complexes, which are accessed by a part of high-speed trains via specially built connecting tracks.

In addition to "separate points with track development, on average, after 22-24 km, dispatching posts are placed with the laying of two ramps between the main tracks to enable the transfer of traffic from one track to another.

The Italian and German versions of the HSR also involve the use of existing railway stations, but, as a rule, expanded and reconstructed.

Turnouts are the most important element of the route development of separate points. The design and construction of the high-speed railway served powerful impetus to the development of new types of turnouts, including those that provide a high speed of movement both in a straight line and in a deviated direction.

The previously mentioned general strategy of tracing the high-speed lines in the shortest directions with the device of connecting branches for the entry of a part of high-speed trains into large passenger stations of conventional lines stimulated French specialists to develop, manufacture and widely use flat turnouts with 1/65 brand crosses, allowing maximum speed on the side way up to 220 km/h. On HSR Paris - Lyon out of 136 turnouts, 87 have a design with moving elements of the crosspiece of the brand 1/65 or 1/46.

In Germany, several types of turnouts are used for high-speed and high-speed traffic, among them there is a pointless switch with two movable rails, which allows a side track speed of up to 350 km/h.

Maintenance systems for stationary devices used on operated foreign high-speed lines allow decades to maintain their proper condition in conditions of heavy train traffic. These systems include technical means of control and diagnostics; they are serviced by production units equipped with high-performance machines and mechanisms, having maintenance bases along the line, special control and measuring trains (cars) to obtain the characteristics of the track, contact network, signaling and communication devices.

The creation of high-speed railway lines required fundamentally new approaches to ensuring operational safety railway as an integrated system.

A high level of safety is ensured, in particular, by the design parameters, the complete isolation of the high-speed railway from other routes of communication (crossings at different levels with highways, pedestrian crossings, etc.). The VSR exclusion zone is, as a rule, isolated, the presence of strangers in it, the penetration of animals is not allowed.

The high-speed line provides continuous monitoring of the state of the subgrade and artificial structures; the state of the atmosphere is monitored, in particular, the strength and direction of the wind, the intensity of precipitation, in some cases, seismic activity is monitored. The received data is transferred directly to automated systems traffic control on a high-speed highway.

HSR uses complex methods traffic control trains based on integrated signaling, centralization and blocking systems. Multi-valued auto-blocking systems are used, as a rule, without floor signals, ALSN with train speed control and dispatcher centralization of control of arrows and signals at separate points.

In high-speed traffic, electric rolling stock. Attempts have been made to use diesel engines and gas turbines to propel high-speed trains.

High-speed trains are permanent trains with locomotive or multiple unit traction. In some cases, articulated cars with intermediate bogies are used for high-speed traffic. The HSR rolling stock is characterized by a low load from wheelsets on the rails - about 16 ... 18 tons. In the experimental Japanese train STAR21, it was possible to achieve an axle load of only 7.4 tons.

Traction drive with inverter converters and asynchronous traction motors predetermined the success in the creation of high-speed trains of the last two decades. Progress in the field of a new element base - the appearance of gate-locked thyristors (GTO) in the 80s - made it possible to simplify the converter circuits, reduce the number of elements and begin the widespread use of powerful, compact, reliable and relatively cheap asynchronous traction motors in railway transport.

The modular (block) principle of equipment placement is increasingly used in the design of rolling stock, which significantly reduces the costs of designing, manufacturing and operating rolling stock.

VSM is usually electrified on alternating current of industrial frequency of 50 or 60 Hz with a voltage in the contact wire of 25 kV. However, in a number of countries, an alternating current of reduced frequency of 16⅔ Hz and a voltage in the contact network of 15 kV are used.

To increase the length of inter-substation power supply zones on high-speed lines, a 2 × 25 kV AC system with intermediate autotransformers is often used.

Some connecting lines and sections of HSR entrances to railway junctions are electrified at direct current with a voltage of 1.5 or 3.0 kV.

The operation of high-speed railways from 1964 to the present has shown that, in comparison with other modes of transport, high-speed railways are the safest. For the entire period of existence of specialized high-speed lines, not a single accident occurred on them that resulted in the death of passengers.

The most serious incident in history high-speed (not high speed- approx. auth.) of the movement happened on June 3, 1998 in Germany on a reconstructed railway line north of Hannover near the Eschede station, where the ICE 1 train derailed at a speed of about 200 km / h. 100 people died and 88 were injured in the crash. The cause of the tragedy there were shortcomings in the system for diagnosing the condition of the train wheelsets, as a result of which the tire of one of the wheels was destroyed and the cars derailed.

Japan

1. The Japanese were the first to solve the problem of modernizing their railways. It happened in the late 50s of the last century. It was a necessary event on the eve of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Because Japanese roads were archaic. The track gauge was only 1067 mm, the tracks were worn out, the fleet of locomotives was obsolete.

In a record short time, in 5.5 years, the Japanese built a broad-gauge 552-kilometer Shinkansen line that connected Tokyo and Osaka. Here, for the first time in the world, technologies of jointless laying of rails were used: they are soldered into kilometer-long strips and in this form are delivered on a platform to the place of laying. The geometry of the joints of these lashes is such that temperature changes do not lead to the formation of gaps between them.

2. Naturally, there are no crossings on the line, for which more than a hundred bridges and tunnels had to be built. A fundamentally new type of train was used on the Shinkansen, which, with the light hand of journalists, was nicknamed the "bullet train". There is no locomotive in the pool train: the engine is installed on each wheel axle, which allows a significant increase in power.

In 1964, trains ran between Tokyo and Osaka at 210 km/h. Now the Nozomi N-700 electric train flies 552 km in 2 hours and 25 minutes, reaching a speed of up to 300 km/h. At the moment, Shinkansen, which links all major cities in Japan, is the most popular mode of transport. In 50 years of operation, the Shinkansen trains, running in the morning and evening hours at intervals of six minutes, have transported almost 7 billion passengers.

France

3. Europe responded to the Japanese railway breakthrough with a significant delay. This is partly due to the fact that European designers in the 1950s and 60s experimented with great enthusiasm with a train on air cushion and with maglev - this is the name of a maglev train.

The decision to create a high-speed line similar to the Japanese one was made in France in the second half of the 1960s. National Society French railways took fifteen years to develop and launch the Paris-Lyon line, which was named TGV (train a` grande vitesse - high-speed train). The creation of the track was, although an expensive undertaking, but it did not cause any special problems for the engineers. It was more difficult to design the train itself. And then the world economic situation unexpectedly intervened in the plans of the designers. The fact is that at the first stage it was decided to use a gas turbine plant as a locomotive engine. In 1971, the TGV-001 turbo train was successfully tested, showing excellent performance. He reached a speed of 318 km / h, which still remains the world record for trains without electric traction. However, the energy crisis that occurred in 1973 forced the SNCF leadership to abandon the use of fuel that had risen sharply in TGVs. There was a reorientation to the use of less expensive electricity produced at French nuclear power plants.

4. In the end, by the year 80, the Paris-Lyon line was also ready. The electric locomotive and wagons were manufactured by Alstom. On September 27, 1981, the line was put into operation. The train covered the distance between two French cities in 2 hours, moving at a speed of 260 km/h. Now the speed on the TGV lines covering Europe reaches 350 km/h. As for the average speed, it is 263.3 km/h. At the same time, the rolling stock is constantly being modernized, new models are being created. On April 3, 2007, a new shortened TGV POS train reached a speed of 574.8 km/h on the new 106 km LGV EST line connecting Paris with Lorraine. This is an absolute record on the railroad. In this case, the braking distance was 32 km.

Trains of the TGV POS type, plying in France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg, resemble Russian electric trains. They have two head motor cars, between which there are eight intermediate trailers. Number of seats - 377.

5. High-speed routes have special requirements in addition to the seamless connection of rails. The turning radius is at least 4000 m. The center distances of adjacent tracks are at least 4.5 m, which reduces the aerodynamic effect when two oncoming trains pass, the relative speed of which can reach 700 km/h. The tunnels through which the route passes are specially designed to minimize aerodynamic impact when entering and exiting the tunnel. A special signaling system is used on the driver's dashboard and automatic braking is provided in case the driver's reaction is not fast enough. The paths are securely fenced to prevent collisions with animals. In order for the pantograph not to catch up with the wave running from it along the contact wire, the wire has a greater tension than on conventional lines. There is a speed limit on TGV lines, but not from above, but from below. This is required so that slow-moving vehicles do not reduce the throughput of high-speed lines.

6. Oddly enough, there are no truly high-speed lines in the USA. Despite the fact that the trains on the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York-Boston route are manufactured by the French company Alstom. Max speed trains in regular passenger traffic is 241 km/h. Route speed is lower: when traveling from end to end along the entire 735 km route, it is 110 km/h. This is explained by the fact that high-speed French trains are forced to “travel” along the old track.

True, since 2013, the construction of a classic high-speed line between Los Angeles and San Francisco has begun. It is scheduled to be operational in 2020, and TGV POS will be able to demonstrate everything they can on it.

Germany

7. Intercity-Express - a network of high-speed trains, mainly distributed in Germany, developed by Deutsche Bahn. The current generation of Intercity-Express trains, ICE 3, was developed by a consortium of Siemens AG and Bombardier under the overall direction of Siemens AG. The maximum speed of ICE trains on specially built sections of the railway network is 320 km/h. On standard sections of the network, ICE speeds average 160 km/h. The length of the sections on which ICE can reach speeds of more than 230 km / h is 1200 km.

ICE is the main type of long-distance train provided by the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn). They provide both maximum speed and maximum travel comfort. ICE became the basis for the development by Siemens AG of its family of high-speed trains under the common trademark Siemens Velaro. Velaro projects have been implemented, in particular, in Spain and China. These trains are also delivered to Russia for use on high-speed lines Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod.

Russia

8. The Moscow-Petersburg route, along which the Sapsan train moves, should be recognized as a conditionally high-speed one, since for the most part it is a slightly modernized legacy of the Soviet track facilities. In this connection, a train manufactured by the German company Siemens, capable of reaching speeds of up to 350 km/h, only pulls 250 km/h in one section. The average speed is 140 km/h.

By 2017, it is planned to make the track completely high-speed. And then the movement between the two capitals will be reduced from 4 hours to 2.

However, Russian Railways still set a record on this line. The amount of the contract for the purchase and operation of 8 trains exceeded 600 million euros. The purchase of the same number of fourth-generation fighters would be cheaper. Quite an expensive pleasure, allowing the "St. Petersburg" to visit their native land for the weekend.

China

China's express and high-speed roads include: upgraded conventional rail lines, new lines built specifically for high-speed trains, and the world's first commercial maglev lines. As of December 2013, the total length of such roads in the PRC was over 14,400 km, including 7,268 km sections with a maximum train speed of 350 km/h.

China is currently experiencing a boom in high-speed rail construction. With government support and special incentive measures, the total length of the high-speed rail network is expected to reach 18,000 km by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan in 2015.

In technological terms, the organization of high-speed rail communication occurs through technology transfer agreements from proven foreign manufacturers such as Bombardier, Alstom, and Kawasaki. By adopting foreign technologies, China seeks to make its own developments based on them. An example is the development of the CRH-380A series trains, which set a record for China's high-speed roads, about 500 km/h, manufactured in China and reaching speeds over 350 km/h, and in operation since 2010. It is also reported that the new Beijing-Shanghai train will be developed by the Chinese company Shagun Rail Wheels and launched before 2012.

Eastern maglev

10. Maglev trains can conditionally be attributed to railway transport, although they hover above the canvas at a distance of 1.5 centimeters. In this class of express trains, the speed record is 581 km/h. It was installed in 2003 by the Japan Railway Technical Research Institute Maglev MLX01 at the test site. Until now, it is not known about the timing of the introduction of the Japanese maglev into commercial operation. However, the trains are already flying stably and without accidents, and residents of the surrounding towns and villages are already riding them on holidays.

11. Since 2002, a Chinese 30-kilometer high-speed line has been operating connecting Shanghai with Padong Airport. A monorail is used on this road, over which, after acceleration, the train hovers at a distance of 1.5 cm. The speed of the Shanghai maglev, built by the German company Transrapid (a subsidiary of Siemens AG and ThyssenKrupp), is 450 km / h.

In the foreseeable future, the Shanghai line will be extended to the city of Hangzhou, and its length will be 175 km.

China is gradually becoming the world's leading railway power. It covers with a dense network of high-speed roads not only its territory, but also neighboring countries. In this review, we will talk about phenomenon of Chinese railways, as well as about prospects his influence on Russia China is already announcing plans to build a $242 billion Beijing-Moscow highway.

Railways of China

China and Southeast Asia

But China's transport interests are not limited to Southeast Asia either. This country is working on ideas of a much wider infrastructural expansion to the West and East.

China and America

It may sound like a joke, but China is actually seriously considering connecting Asia and North America with a railroad for the foreseeable future. The 13,000-kilometer line will start in Beijing, pass through Vladivostok, the coast Sea of ​​Okhotsk, will dive into a 200-kilometer tunnel under the Bering Strait, then again pass by land through the whole of Alaska, the west coast of Canada with Vancouver, and then through the United States of America to Los Angeles. In the future, it could be extended east to New York and south to South America.

China and Europe

China and Russia

It is expected that the total length of the road will be about 7 thousand kilometers. It will start in Beijing, pass through the northwest of China, Kazakhstan and the European part of Russia to Moscow. Trains will cover this route in just 2 days, while the current trains overcome it in more than 7 days.

Outcome

high speed railways

High speed railways

highways on which trains move at a speed of at least 200 km / h. The entire history of the development of railway transport is associated with the desire to ensure maximum speeds, minimum time for passengers and goods to travel, increase bandwidth roads. High-speed transport requires the creation of special infrastructure - artificial structures, rail tracks, traffic control systems, signaling, information and communication devices that ensure the necessary safety of passengers and the safety of goods. High-speed movement is carried out either by wheeled rolling stock moving along a traditional rail track, or by wagons that do not have direct contact when moving with an overpass (the so-called levitating transport). In the latter case, a special one is used to create traction in combination with a magnetic suspension.

He first developed a record speed of 140 km / h in 1905 with steam traction from the German company Siemens; after some time, he also reached a speed of 200 km / h. In 1973 in the UK on a locomotive with diesel engine reached a speed of 230 km/h. In the beginning. 80s on the roads of Europe, the French superexpress TGV (Trains Grande Vitesse - with high speed) appeared, developing a speed of 380 km / h; in 1990 he showed a record speed of 515.3 km/h. However, the most acceptable speed for superexpress operation is 300 km/h. Trains move at this speed in different regions Western Europe. High-speed traffic is most developed in France, Germany, Spain, Italy - countries connected by a single network of high-speed railways. In Japan, which has an extensive network of high-speed lines connecting the entire territory of the country, the operating speed in most sections does not exceed 210–240 km/h (up to 270 km/h in tunnels). In Russia, the creation of high-speed rail transport began in con. 1980s On the first high-speed line between Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg), in 1989, the operation of the ER-200 electric train began, developing a speed of 200 km / h in some sections. In con. 90s designed and built high-speed, designed for more high speeds for operation in the same direction.

Encyclopedia "Technology". - M.: Rosman. 2006 .

See what "high-speed railways" are in other dictionaries:

High-speed railways in Poland are the railway infrastructure and rolling stock providing the movement of trains at speeds above 200 km/h. Currently, Poland does not have high-speed lines. This article or part ... ... Wikipedia

China Rapid and High-Speed ​​Railway (中国高速铁路) all types of China's commercial rail transport with an average speed of 200 km/h or more. According to this indicator, China has the largest in the world ... ... Wikipedia

High-speed rail communication in Russia plays an important role as one of the most promising areas of passenger traffic. Studies conducted back in 1990 showed that due to the unification of large cities into ... ... Wikipedia

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Narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railway) is a railway with a gauge less than the accepted normal (for the USSR and Russia less than 1520 mm). Contents 1 History 2 Applications of narrow gauge roads ... Wikipedia

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- (MK MZhD) (Moscow District Railway (MOZhD), Maloye Moscow ring(MMK)) a circular railway in Moscow, intended for the implementation freight traffic between all 10 main railway lines ... ... Wikipedia

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Books

• The Big Book of Trains, Porter, John M. This book will take you on a colorful journey through the railroad era! It will begin in the 19th century with the invention of the famous "Locomotive No. 1" and will end today, when cities and countries ...

Holding Olympic Games in China in 2007 gave impetus to the development of bullet train traffic in the country. a railway line was opened for high-speed trains at a speed of 330 km per hour.

The line connected the capital Beijing and the port Tiadzhin. And this is not the limit! Benjin and Shanghai are connected by a 350 km/h high-speed train line. To create a high-speed movement, the technologies of the Japanese company Kawasaki were used. Recent times there is a tendency to use Chinese technology in this direction. Chinese companies sell their trains to northern and South America. For comparison: high-speed trains in Europe can reach speeds of up to 270 km per hour, a Japanese bullet train travels at a speed of 234 km per hour.

In 2010, China's high-speed train set a new speed record of 486.1 kilometers per hour, surpassing the previous record by nearly 70 kilometers per hour, Chinese media reported on Friday.

The record was set during a test pass of the CRH380A series train on the section between the cities of Zaozhuang and Bengpu on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.

The new record greatly surpasses the previous record of 416.6 kilometers per hour, which the Chinese-made train reached at the end of September this year.

Chinese specialists have begun to design a train that will reach speeds of over 500 kilometers per hour.

Speed ​​records are set only as part of research tests. At the same time, according to the Ministry of Railways of China, at present, China has 337 trains capable of speeds up to 380 kilometers per hour, which are used to transport passengers.

China has 7.55 thousand kilometers of high-speed railways. More than 10,000 kilometers of high-speed railway track are under construction.

In 2011, China opened another high-speed rail line. This time between Wuhan and Guangzhou. It was built in just four years and now it is the longest high-speed railway line in the world - 1068 km.
Trains on it develop a speed of 350 km / h. So you can get from Wuhan to Guangzhou not in ten hours, as usual, but in just 2 hours and 58 minutes. The fare is from 70 to 114 dollars one way. In 2012, about 13,000 km of high-speed railways (200-350 km/h) will be in operation in China.

By 2012, China will have 42 high-speed rail lines, further boosting the economy. The distance that used to take ten hours to cover now is only three. This is a great alternative to traffic jams and planes with pre-registration required. Inside the train is not divided into wagons and represent a single space. Shaking, vibration, shocks when moving are absent. The trains are equipped with soft anatomical chairs, TVs, vending machines with drinks. Hot lunches are also provided, served by well-trained stewards. The cost of meals is included in the ticket.

What does it look like? To a giant airport? To the spaceport? A scene from a movie about the future? No, guys, this is the Chinese station. Giant building. Futuristic architecture. Elevators, escalators, dozens and hundreds of information boards, marble floor, polished to a mirror finish, live palm trees, comfortable temperature, perfect cleanliness. There are several thousand people here at the same time. But they are all so evenly distributed in a common gigantic space that there is no feeling of a crowd, which is characteristic of stations.

There are restaurants, and McDonald's, and Starbucks, and branded stores. There are also recreation areas and playgrounds for children. At the box office for buying tickets there is a special window for foreigners. An adult and serious Chinese woman in glasses sells tickets to the "laowais" as if they are her students, and she is an English teacher.

Regular trains do not come to this station. There are high speed trains. The fact is that now China is rebuilding a giant web of high-speed railways throughout the country. This web is already linking dozens of strategic millionaires. And in the next few years, it will cover itself in literally the whole country.

Which trains are a great alternative to two modes of transport at once. First, cars. Previously, to get from one city to another, you had to take a car, stand in city traffic for a long time, take the freeway, pay for the road (roads in China are paid), refuel and drive at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in the neighborhood of crazy Chinese drivers trucks. Now on a high-speed train, this can be done three times faster and three times cheaper. At the same time, you will spend time in comfortable conditions and don't get tired of driving.

And secondly, it is an alternative to aircraft. Because now, from almost any major city to another major city, you can not only fly by plane, but also get there by such a high-speed train. This is often much more convenient. And always cheaper. And it works.

At the station, all passengers are waiting for their train in the common waiting room. And only when the high-speed train is served on the platform and it opens its sealed doors, passengers are invited to board. The landing system here is the same as at airports. That is why the platforms themselves are always deserted and spotlessly clean.

AP Photo/Xinhua, Cheng Min // Wuhan depot and some of the fastest trains in the world.

Buying tickets, finding the right exit to the platform, the way from the waiting room to the train - all this is organized in such a logical and predictable way that anyone can figure it out. Even laowai. And even "laowai", who flew to China for the first time and just now.

Trains arrive on time. And they leave on time. This is a system. Clear and thoughtful matrix.

After the train has been served, passengers through automatic gates enter one of the platforms, of which there are several dozen. And almost immediately find themselves inside the train.

AP Photo // The driver in the cab of the CRH3 train.

Inside the train is a single space. Without partitions and divided wagons. You can walk from the end of the train to the beginning without opening or closing a single door. Soft, comfortable chairs, information boards (where the names of stops, time and speed are displayed), LCD TVs, laptop sockets, coolers with hot and cold water ...

These trains are served by specially sharpened conductors. Cute but strict Chinese women in blue uniforms. It is to them that you can ask your naive question and get a completely serious answer to it. They don't flirt at work...

Pay attention to this young man in a red vest. This is a railroad employee. He delivers meals. Rice with meat. Chicken with meat. And sweet donuts.

The new generation of trains in China is not “to be” and not “but we also have it”, and not “blablabla”. This is a thoughtful, convenient and popular project on a federal scale. Focused not on the capital's elite, but on the people. (By the way, like many things in China).

Despite all its futurism and grandiosity, the prices here are not at all high. And a businessman from Shanghai in a suit and tie, and a rice farmer who returns from the capital to his village can easily sit in the neighboring seats. At the same time, they will definitely talk loudly, discuss the weather, politics, the Dow Jones index, agricultural fertilizers and a bunch of other things ...

China needs to move. Move quickly, conveniently and affordable. The speed of movement around the country is very important in order for the economy and business to continue to develop as insanely fast. Everyone is interested in this. And the state that "creates the conditions." And "the people and business", which uses these conditions. And I generally understand why such high-speed railways are being built here, and not somewhere else.

circuit diagram railway and high-speed railway in East China area

Schematic diagram of China's expressways (built, under construction and planned for construction)

Here's what the blogger says imajarov about your trip on this train.

Traffic on the Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway. Travel time - 45 minutes.
Tickets cost 82 yuan - second class, 131 yuan - first class. There is also a compartment (fenced-off corral for 6 people in a 1st class carriage) - 240 yuan per person.

The first feeling is quite impressive: the train first slowly departs from the station and lazily, at a speed of 120-130 km per hour, "weaves" along the sidings. Then it enters a high-speed overpass, in 10-20 seconds it rapidly accelerates to 220-250 km. And further acceleration to 350 km/h is palpably breathtaking. The houses, cars and pashenkos flying below evoke the thought of the frailty of all things. And for some reason, he immediately begins to think that it is probably right that there are no seat belts in such trains: if something does not help. Especially when the flyover reaches 20 meters in height - there are complete associations of low-level helicopter flight (I flew somehow on the "Hooligan" Ka-26 along the coast).

AP Photo/Xinhua, Cheng Min // Station in Wuhan, central China.

REUTERS/Stringer // The maximum speed of the train is 350 km/h.