3 Hours on the World’s Fastest Train

A console displays the train's current speed. At top speed, it reached 337 km/h.

In December, a new Chinese rail line claimed the title of fastest train in the world — and it just so happens to run right through Changsha, where I live. So when a work conference was scheduled for Guangzhou, the southern terminus for the line, it was the perfect excuse to test out the new train. Instead of nine hours in an uncomfortable train berth, I spent three hours in a comfy seat and made it home in time to sleep in my own bed.

The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed rail is the first part of China’s ambitious plans for a web of high-speed lines connecting Beijing to all of the country’s provincial capitals, and connecting the capitals to major cities in between. When this project is completed, it’s going to revolutionize travel in China. Getting from city to city will be relaxing, a la a ride on the shinkansen. On the the train from Guangzhou to Changsha, the carriages were smoke-free and the service was polite and efficient. The high-speed trains will also be an environmental boon  — after just a few months of service, airfares are already going down due to competition with the train. As more lines open, it will hopefully slow down the growth of China’s air travel industry.

However, the cost of a high-speed ticket is nothing to sneeze at. The fare from Guangzhou to Changsha was 330 RMB ($48), compared to roughly 180 RMB for a hard sleeper or 100 RMB for a hard seat on a regular train. (This price difference is the subject of most criticism of the new high-speed system, since the more affordable slow trains are now running on a reduced schedule.) Furthermore, the high-speed trains leave from new stations far from the city center, adding time and/or cost to the trip. Door-to-door, our Guangzhou-Changsha trip took about 5 1/2 hours, and we spent about 70 RMB extra on taxis. For budget travelers, overnight trains are probably still the way to go — unless you want to be able to say you’ve ridden the fastest train in the world (for now).

For more information, check out my guide to train travel in China.

Related posts:

1. Day 5: How to Spend 33 Hours on a Train
2. Q&A: China Train Travel
3. The Perks of Being a “Waiguoren”
4. Eating in China: A Study in Impermanence
5. In Search of African Guangzhou

Tagged as: blogsherpa, Changsha, China, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Hunan, trains