China's high-speed rail plans get more ambitious by the day. Not satisfied with having the world's most advanced and extensive rail line in the world, China is now planning to connect its rail system to 17 other countries in Asia and Eastern Europe where it will join the European rail network.
China plans to have this massive project completed in 10 years. The rail system will include three major continent-crossing lines running at 200 mph. One line will connect London to Beijing in a two-day trip and continue on to Singapore. Another will link Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. The third will connect Germany to Russia, go across Siberia and back into China.
With travelers able to take major routes like these at high speeds, air travel may become a lot less necessary across Europe and Asia.
China will be financing the project in exchange for access to natural resources from the 17 countries the rail lines will run through. As an example, Burma will provide China with lithium for its rail connection.
via Daily Telegraph
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written by Lenen, March 15, 2010
Sounds like a great idea 
! A good alternative to flying. As well as combining this with stopovers to visit all the countries!
! A good alternative to flying. As well as combining this with stopovers to visit all the countries!
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written by Piers Headley, March 16, 2010
Dear Phong, if you are really so paranoid why don't you crawl into your panic room and lock the door!
International co-operation is essential for ecological progress. I say :
in essentials unity,
in non-essentials liberty,
in all things charity!
International co-operation is essential for ecological progress. I say :
in essentials unity,
in non-essentials liberty,
in all things charity!
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written by hyperspaced, March 16, 2010
Connecting major Asian cities and countries is one thing but connecting Asia with Europe through Siberia is another.
Nobody will throw $300B on the steppes; the chinese are not stupid. Don't believe everything you read.
The future is in faster and greener/cheaper transportation. Faster = air travel, Greener/Cheaper = hydrogen-solar
Nobody will throw $300B on the steppes; the chinese are not stupid. Don't believe everything you read.
The future is in faster and greener/cheaper transportation. Faster = air travel, Greener/Cheaper = hydrogen-solar
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written by lorax, March 16, 2010
I sincerely hope they call it the Silk Road, or some derivation thereof.
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written by Elemental LED staff, March 17, 2010
This isn't surprising at all. For a country that is outwardly socialist, they're doing an awful lot to lay the groundwork for an even more vast international trade network, and are apparently forward-thinking enough to know that air travel will soon be prohibitively expensive for most people, even the businesses they hope to create relationships with.
B/t/w, it's a little late to try to prevent China's economic dominance, don't you think?!
B/t/w, it's a little late to try to prevent China's economic dominance, don't you think?!
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written by Umlud, March 17, 2010
If we did, they might build our rail network for us! 
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written by Amy Thomson, March 17, 2010
I took the Trans Mongolian Railway from Beijing to Mongolia 4 years ago. They stop the train at the border, raise it up, and change the gauge. I joked at the time that it was because the Mongolians could look south and count. China and Mongolia have spent centuries conquering each other. Russia was saved by the change in gauge across its border, which stopped German troop trains at the border. Will Mongolia, and by extension, Russia, allow rolling stock across its border without some kind of gauge-change airlock? If I bordered China, I'd worry. Look at what's happened to Tibet.
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written by Phong Nyuen, March 18, 2010
You are so right. We just have to look at China's example of how they treat people. Who will forget Tiananmen Square, the Rape of Tibet, their cruel treatment of ethnic (non Han) minorities, the harvesting of executed prisoners organs for profit, dangerous counterfeit foodstuffs and medicines, disrespect for commercial contract law.
It was Chinese operatives who spread the IPCC ClimateGate emails in order to trash the Copenhagen conference.
The proposed Chinese rail expansion is a really means to enable the transport of Chinese military hardware and invasion forces. It is time for the world to wake up to the scofflaw criminal enterprise which China really is.
It was Chinese operatives who spread the IPCC ClimateGate emails in order to trash the Copenhagen conference.
The proposed Chinese rail expansion is a really means to enable the transport of Chinese military hardware and invasion forces. It is time for the world to wake up to the scofflaw criminal enterprise which China really is.
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written by Oemissions, March 18, 2010
it will take a great deal of coaxing and possibly even theraphy to wean americans off automobiles.
they are addicted to them . toxic.
they are addicted to them . toxic.
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written by Richardevans, March 25, 2010
I don't think it's fair to bash China for this ambitious project. By the looks of it, it's not just the Sleeping Giant that will benefit from the completion of such rail system. Since it's going through different jurisdictions, there's no need to be paranoid about its abuse for the benefit of Chinese military advances. Should such movement be detected, China will be in a tight spot before it can one can say "silk road".
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written by Maggie Jones, May 06, 2010
It's a good idea! If you are unable to travel by air. You have an option of traveling by train.
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written by PRADIP BANDYOPADHYAY, June 03, 2010
ITS GREAT IDEA.CHINA CAN ACHIEVE THAT. BUT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM TO BE TACKLED FIRST WITH BRUTAL APPROACH,NO TRAIL( SHOOT AT SIGHT).
RAILWAY SHOULD RUN TO INDIA VIA ARUNACHAL PRADESH TO EAST AND THEN FROM NORTH TO TIBBET VIA MANOS SOROBHAR LAKE TO CHINA. MAXIMUM PREVELAGE SHOULD BE OFFERED TO RAILWAY MEN OF ASIA.
RAILWAY SHOULD RUN TO INDIA VIA ARUNACHAL PRADESH TO EAST AND THEN FROM NORTH TO TIBBET VIA MANOS SOROBHAR LAKE TO CHINA. MAXIMUM PREVELAGE SHOULD BE OFFERED TO RAILWAY MEN OF ASIA.
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written by Uncle B, June 30, 2010
In the 21at Century America will lose its luster and become known as the land of the overly fat bummed American Oil, hash, cocaine addict - a Third World nation with a few Uber-Rich at the helm and starved for oil. Asia however, will flourish with Solar, Wave, Wind, Hydro, Tidal, Geothermal and Nuclear electric development - the very development America's obsession with oil blocks today! Soon, if not now, the most important medical books, the great scientific papers of the world will be written in Mandarin for the West to attempt shoddy translations by undereducated scholars! The tide is turning and it is a Yellow tide, not White or African-American! We are no longer superior! China alone has more post-graduates this year with 130 IQ's than America has high school graduates, drop-outs included! There are more Chinese on the internet than English speaking folk, and more people in Asia speak English than the total population of the U.S.A.! naturally, Asia under a better regime than the Corporatists that run the U.S.A. will fare better!
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