All Aboard the CRH: Shanghai-Beijing on the Fast Train

Just in time for the CCP’s 90th, I had the pleasure of riding the latest glorious addition to China’s infrastructure, the high speed CRH railway linking Beijing and Shanghai. Specifically, my trip was the Northern route, beginning in Shanghai and ending in Beijing.

My arrival at the CRH station in Shanghai was not unlike preparing for a flight. Security, however, was a breeze. Bags were loaded directly into a massive X-ray machine while we stepped through an arch that must detect something – we were able to walk through, belts still buckled, smelly feet still sheathed, and cell-phones in our pockets.

We arrived on the tracks just in time to see the wonderful levitating land-jet glide into position. The sleek white exterior mirrored what was found inside – a sterile, white and blue airline-style seating arrangement and interior. However, the advantage of traveling a few inches off the surface of the earth rather than thousands of feet above it were immediately apparent upon boarding: More legroom, wide aisles, zero turbulence, hot water stations for your fangbian mian and – perhaps contrasting most with the current fleet of trains in China – large, clean bathrooms.

CRH even had their own their own TV station, occasionally interrupting the scheduled programming with an advert for some of the more tourist-neglected provinces (CHARMING ANHUI!) and a Zhang Yimou-directed rundown of why you should be excited to be aboard.

My gripes with the CRH rail are limited: there were plenty of screaming kids running down the aisles (though parents are to blame for that, not the CRH), though the rugrats seemed relatively happy, a far cry from the boxed-in, cooped-up, and stressed-out variety you’d find on your average airline.

For some reason, a high-pitched, minute-long blare of noise accompanied each of four stops we made (Nanjing, Hangzhou, Jinan and finally Beijing) which weren’t very pleasant for any travelers trying catch up on their sleep. Additionally, my train was about 20 minutes late, but the trip was pleasant enough that no one seemed to mind.

Finally, the smallish shelves above the seats for luggage were inadequate. I had packed light, but to watch as a few passengers struggled with larger suitcases was laborious enough to make me tired, especially with the rather vocal oversight of one of the passengers by a rather shrill attendant as he broke a sweat trying to rearrange his luggage.

Overall, the security process and the price alone was more than enough to make up for any differences between taking to the skies and riding the rails. I was surprised at how short the trip felt and I was surprised at how much of a difference a wider car, extended legroom and zero turbulence made.

Photos: AllaboutSH and Matt Wester.