High-speed Rail In China Research Articles

Bigger and Different: Beginning to Understand the Role of High-Speed Rail in Developing China’s Future Supercities

The development of high-speed rail (HSR) is transforming the landscape of China by enabling new forms of urban and regional expansion. Some of these spatial and economic effects mirror past experience with HSR infrastructure in Japan and Western Europe. But the scale of China’s HSR infrastructure and its role in providing that country’s intercity mobility are sufficiently greater than previous HSR development that new spatial effects can be expected. This paper takes the first step in explaining this transformation by creating an analytical framework to differentiate three modes of spatial development that can be associated with distinct configurations of HSR operation in China. An initial assessment of these transportation development genres is offered, and an agenda for future research into the catalytic role of HSR in China’s development of supercities with more than 130 million people is presented.

Weight under Steel Wheels: Material Stock and Flow Analysis of High‐Speed Rail in China

SummaryThe construction of a nation‐wide high‐speed rail (HSR) network has emerged as a hugely expensive and ambitious infrastructure project in China. As of December 2012, some 8,800 kilometers (km) of double‐track HSR lines came into service in the country, accounting for 40% of the total HSR length in the world. The network is expected to expand to 34,000 km or longer in around two decades. As the first HSR system specially built and operated in an economically developing country, it helps integrate the sprawling economy and lift the quality of life of the increasing urban population. China's experiences in HSR are expected to be of value to other countries aiming to adopt bullet train systems, especially those at a similar level of industrialization and urbanization. This work specifically examines material stocks and flows associated with the HSR infrastructure construction in China. A major distinction from the construction of HSR tracks in Europe is that nearly 70% of the HSR tracks in China are laid upon bridges or inside tunnels, which are structures that demand great amounts of raw materials. The entire network, once completed by 2030, will cumulatively require 83 to 137 million tonnes (Mt) of steel and 560 to 920 Mt of cement. This is still a small share of China's use of material resources. Nonetheless, the massive application of the steel‐ and cement‐intensive structures deserves consideration when assessing the environmental performance of HSR over its entire life cycle.

Life cycle assessment of High Speed Rail in China

China has built the world’s largest High Speed Rail (HSR) network. Its environmental impacts have been examined by the means of life cycle assessment (LCA) which describes the whole picture of the HSR system instead of single stages, with a case study for the high-speed railway that links Beijing and Shanghai. The research employs the China-specific life cycle inventory database Chinese Core Life Cycle Database (CLCD). Vehicle operation dominates most impact categories, while vehicle manufacturing/maintenance/disposal and infrastructure construction contribute mostly to mineral consumption (43% and 38%) and organic compounds in water (54% for infrastructure construction). Several scenarios are developed to explore effects of changes in HSR development, utilization, electricity mix, and infrastructure planning and construction. Suggestions are provided for improving the life cycle environmental performance of China’s HSR systems.

The variation in the value of travel-time savings and the dilemma of high-speed rail in China

This paper examines the variation in the value of travel-time savings (VTTS), a fundamental element determining the market demand for high-speed rail. Following a review of time allocation theories, a time allocation model for general travel behavior is proposed as a further elaboration of Evans’ (1972) activities analysis. There are relationships among activities that can be expressed using a linear inequality to show the constraints on the arrangement of activities. This model indicates that two or more activities can be simultaneously rearranged to improve time management, which may be a source of variation in VTTS. This time allocation model can explain why large-scale high-speed rail construction in China faces significant market risks and a high likelihood of economic loss. Data from a new ticket sales and booking system for railway passengers indicate that passengers prefer conventional overnight sleeper trains, rather than high-speed trains, for long-distance travel, which supports the analysis of the time allocation model.

Influence of high-speed rail on choices of tourist destination based on the gravity model: A case study of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail in China

Influence of high-speed rail on choices of tourist destination based on the gravity model: A case study of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail in China

Analysis on line capacity usage for China high speed railway with optimization approach

The purpose for the analysis of capacity usage is to utilize the rail infrastructure in a more efficient and practical way. The practical and theoretical challenge of the rail capacity is its dynamics and uncertainty, which are common in China and elsewhere. Based on the capacity balance, a train service-demand intention set (TSDIS) at High-Speed Rail (HSR) line (t@l-TSDIS) is defined, which takes the number of trains, the average speed, the heterogeneity and the stability as the core elements for the capacity usage. For dynamics and uncertainty, we update the norm for capacity measure as the time needed to fulfill the task list t@l-TSDIS. Then we develop the objectives and constraints for the Mathematical Program for Line Capacity (MPLC), which aims at minimization of heterogeneity and running time as well as maximization of reliability. For solving MPLC, the Pareto Archived Evolutionary Strategy (PAES) and fuzzy logic penalty function are introduced. Furthermore we propose a rolling optimization tactic oriented by the practical problem, which combines the improved Pareto Archived Evolutionary Strategy (iPAES) with an interactive technique. In a case study, we apply the proposed ideas and methodology to Beijing-Shanghai HSR (BS-HSR) line much closer to the railway practice. By using the computer language C# to compile the Console program, Pareto optimized results for MPLC are achieved, including the standard and practical values for the heterogeneity indices, reliability indices and running time indices. We also discuss the sensitivity of the heterogeneity index. This research demonstrates that it is useful to analyze the line capacity usage for China HSR with the proposed optimization approach.

Technology innovation and entrepreneurial state: the development of China's high-speed rail industry

China proactively promotes indigenous technology innovation towards developing an innovation-based economy. This contradicts the developmental state literature that puts emphasis on technology imitation. Drawn from the strategic entrepreneurship perspective, this article explores the role of the government in China's technology innovation process. Carrying out a case study in the high-speed rail (HSR) industry, it suggests that it is best to understand the Chinese government as an entrepreneur in moving China's HSR industry towards technology innovation-driven development, through three dimensions of state-led strategic entrepreneurship: alertness to opportunities, resource exploration and consolidation, and strategic learning. This article highlights the importance of strategic entrepreneurship to the government in an emerging economy context and contributes to the literature by building a conceptual framework of ‘entrepreneurial state’.

China's Eagerness to Export Its High-speed Rail Expertise to ASEAN Members

The Chinese government is adopting a 'going-out' strategy to promote China's high-end rail technology overseas and strengthen its global competitiveness. This article examines China's high-speed rail diplomacy towards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and uncovers the link between China's ambitious foreign policies towards the ASEAN and both national pride and commercial stakes in promoting high-speed rail in the region. It analyses the rationale behind China's high-speed rail development proposals for the ASEAN in the context of the rise of China and rivalry between China and Japan. China is especially eager to participate in the construction of high-speed railroads with ASEAN members. The high-speed rail link can forge regional economic integration within the ASEAN. For ASEAN member states, China is a key external investor and contractor for their infrastructure development. Nevertheless, China is facing serious challenges to the realization of its proposals.

Indigenous and Integrated Innovation Driving the Boom in China's High-Speed Rail Technologies

Indigenous and Integrated Innovation Driving the Boom in China's High-Speed Rail Technologies

Asphalt Concrete Layer to Support Track Slab of High-Speed Railway

Asphalt concrete (AC) is a traditional material that is used to construct highway pavement and offers the advantages of good bearing capacity, waterproofing, shock absorption, and noise reduction. In recent years, AC also has been used to construct railway infrastructure as part of the rapid development of high-speed rail in China. The study presented in this paper focused on the material composition and mechanical response of railway asphalt concrete (RAC) on the basis of mechanistic models and laboratory experiments. According to the material test results, the air voids of the material RAC-25 used for railway infrastructure should be controlled from 1% to 3%. The optimal asphalt content should be obtained from parameter tests. The recommended asphalt content should be less than 5.8%. Load-bearing infrastructure with the use of RAC-25 to replace partially the surface layer of subgrade, which was a stabilized layer on top of the subgrade, may yield a better performance. This design was No. 1 asphalt concrete railway substructure (ACRS-1). On the basis of the test results, the model with a 12-cm depth of graded gravel subgrade surface layer replaced by RAC-25 showed much better capacity and stability than other models. By comparison, the model reinforced by RAC-25 showed a higher K30 value, less deformation, good temperature sensitivity, and better loading performance. In summary, the ACRS-1 reinforced by RAC-25 was found to be a suitable type of structure for high-speed railway infrastructure.

Background of recent developments of passenger railways in China, the UK and other European countries

This paper, based on a lecture given during tour undertaken in May 2014 of key railway establishments in China, consists of a brief introduction to the history and comparisons of railways in the UK and China, a description of rail speed-up in the last few decades in the UK, and notes of current high speed trains. Similar brief details are given of high speed in Europe. Brief mention is made of comparative railway safety. The development of high speed rail in China is discussed and the UK High Speed development plan is briefly introduced. The paper concluded that high speed train system has tremendous advantages in increasing the efficiency and convenience of transport without adding to carbon generation.

Seismic Analysis of 5-Span High-Speed Railway Continuous Girder Bridge

In recent years, with the development of high-speed rail in China,bridge has a higher proportion in the lines. Every year earthquake occurs many times accidentally in China. In order to ensure the target performance of bridges under earthquake action, we need to be based on the seismic analysis. Only have a deep knowledge of seismic effect discipline, can we enable to guide seismic design economically and reasonably and achieve predetermined target performance. Our study shows that the main vibration mode is a combination of the longitudinal or lateral translation or the revolution around Z axis. Under high-level earthquake, the maximal displacements of side piers and the fixed pier are larger, the maximal longitudinal pier shaft moment of the fixed pier (No.3) or No.5 pier in lateral direction is larger. But the value that exceeds the yield moment is small, which indicates that the development of plasticity is little. The longitudinal shear force of the bearings on the same pier are the same, bearings fixed longitudinally own the largest value. Even bearings whose lateral directions are fixed on the same pier own larger forces. Seen from average maximum values of bearings, all bearings are at the second stage, meeting the requirements that we don’t need to repair or slightly repair the bridge to make it act normally once after an earthquake.

Short-term forecasting of high-speed rail demand: A hybrid approach combining ensemble empirical mode decomposition and gray support vector machine with real-world applications in China

Short-term forecasting of high-speed rail (HSR) passenger flow provides daily ridership estimates that account for day-to-day demand variations in the near future (e.g., next week, next month). It is one of the most critical tasks in high-speed passenger rail planning, operational decision-making and dynamic operation adjustment. An accurate short-term HSR demand prediction provides a basis for effective rail revenue management. In this paper, a hybrid short-term demand forecasting approach is developed by combining the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and grey support vector machine (GSVM) models. There are three steps in this hybrid forecasting approach: (i) decompose short-term passenger flow data with noises into a number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a trend term; (ii) predict each IMF using GSVM calibrated by the particle swarm optimization (PSO); (iii) reconstruct the refined IMF components to produce the final predicted daily HSR passenger flow, where the PSO is also applied to achieve the optimal refactoring combination. This innovative hybrid approach is demonstrated with three typical origin–destination pairs along the Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR in China. Mean absolute percentage errors of the EEMD-GSVM predictions using testing sets are 6.7%, 5.1% and 6.5%, respectively, which are much lower than those of two existing forecasting approaches (support vector machine and autoregressive integrated moving average). Application results indicate that the proposed hybrid forecasting approach performs well in terms of prediction accuracy and is especially suitable for short-term HSR passenger flow forecasting.

Impacts of high speed rail on railroad network accessibility in China

High speed rail (HSR) is changing the overall travel accessibility of cities in China. There have been a number of studies of high speed rail in China. However, detailed spatiotemporal accessibility pattern of cities affected by the operation of high speed rail in China has not been reported. This study takes a timetable-based accessibility evaluation approach to analyze the changes in travel time, travel cost, and distance accessibility for each of the four main stages of HSR development in China: no HSR service in Stage 1 before August 2008, several HSR lines in Stage 2 between August 2008 and July 2011, reduced operating speed of HSR trains in Stage 3 between August 2011 and November 2012, and addition of new HSR lines and reduction of ticket fares in Stage 4 between December 2012 and January 2013. In addition to the “corridor effect” and the “center-diffusion” pattern, this paper investigates the impacts of HSR on changes in in-vehicle travel time and out-of-vehicle travel time with respect to the policy changes that reduced the operating speed of HSR trains, rearranged the train timetable, and lowered the ticket fare on HSR trains. The analysis results indicate the spatiotemporal pattern of Chinese cities affected by these policy changes. This study is useful for assessing HSR impacts on the accessibility of various cities across China as well as serving as a decision-making support to policies related to adjustments of HSR operation and planning of future HSR routes by considering the existing HSR and non-HSR railway lines.

Calculation and Simulation of High-Speed Rail Connecting Ground Wire Coupled Response in Lightning Transient

With the rapid development of China's high-speed rail construction, accidents caused by lightning are more frequent. How to achieve a more effective lightning protection and grounding is the urgent problem to be solved currently. A two-parallel-connecting-ground-wire transmission line model with the distributed parameter of electromagnetic coupling would be built in this paper. In this model, the connecting ground wire would be defined as horizontal infinite length grounding body. The own distribution parameters of segmented conductor and the parameters of the electromagnetic coupling between the parallel segmented conductors are calculated, based on the theory of electromagnetic field to select the appropriate segment size. Based on this transmission line model, the electric potential distribution of the different positions on the two parallel connecting ground wires is calculated by using the electromagnetic transient calculation software ATP-EMTP. Comparing the calculation results in this paper and the simulation results in the simulation software CDGES, it would demonstrate that the electromagnetic coupling distributed parameter transmission line model in this paper is consistent with the actual situation and it could be used to analyze the electromagnetic coupling effect between the two buried parallel connecting ground wires.

Fast Tracks: A Comparison of High Speed Rail in China, Europe and the United States

High speed rail systems have blossomed in technological advances since their debut in the 1960’s with the Japanese Shinkansen line. As miles upon miles of tracks increase around the world, bringing added mobility to travelers while decreasing emissions, various technologies are leading the way to a faster tomorrow. This article explores the differences in what countries around the world are using to supply the next generation of travel modes. This paper details the differences in technological implementations from Asia, Europe, and North America. High speed rail systems are far more developed in other countries, especially China, and have required substantial government investment. The United States, with limited HSR development, stands to benefit from the technological advances of others and learn from the economic impacts of HSR in other countries.

Effects of the high speed rail network on China's regional tourism development

This paper examines the effects of China's high speed rail network (HSRN) on its regional tourism development. It applies the time–space replacement concept to extend the gravitational model and uses iso-tourist lines in explaining the effects created by the mass implementation of China's HSRN. Considering a future gridline tourism transportation model in China, the paper concludes that the effects of HSRN on China's tourism include: a) a redistribution and transformation of tourist markets; b) market competition on a larger scale; and c) a reallocation of urban tourism centers.

Basic research and catch-up in China's high-speed rail industry

The existing literature has not studied the role of basic research in industrial catch-up in developing countries in any depth. This article takes high-speed rail as a case study in order to show how basic research has helped the industry to master imported technology and produce secondary innovations. The role of government is important in terms of coordinating the process of technology importation, digesting imported technology and innovation. The role of the home market is also very important in an era of globalisation to promote innovation in this emerging industry.

Analysis of the Mistaken Policy for China's High Speed Rail

Analysis of the Mistaken Policy for China's High Speed Rail

“Hop on board”: the importation and future development of high‐speed rail (HSR) in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe, as a case study, the recent developments in high‐speed rail (HSR) technological development and economic and business development in China.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a descriptive case study design examining the factors behind the importation of foreign HSR technology and its development within the Chinese context. Various secondary sourced data are used to build the case that educational development in transportation technologies and strategic focus at the national level have created the ability to pursue the development and creation of a national strategic competency in HSR technology for the Chinese.FindingsThe authors find that a major factor behind HSR development in China appears to be the result of a need for the Chinese Government to build the competencies of strategic technologies at the national level. Given present usage levels of HSR, the internal development of HSR systems is not justified by the economic rationales of cheaper and more efficient transportation for the Chinese. However, the case does point out the importance of technological leapfrogging (or “hopping” over the competition, to use the analogy in the title). It is apparent in the case that Chinese engineering has advanced in such a way that it is not inconceivable that China may lead advanced technological state‐of‐the‐art designs in the near future. This building of national core competencies appears to be related to the increase in world‐class educational efforts. As such, the authors argue that the Chinese efforts in HSR are now described by fact‐based education and derivational innovation practices as illustrated in the staged model of innovation by Johnson and Weiss.Originality/valueThe case study is one of the first published in the academic management literature. It demonstrates the process of development of HSR in China and provides preliminary evidence of the importance of the educational and innovation practices in China on the development of an indigenous technological industry in the country.