The distance between Shanghai and Beijing is about 1300 Km. The high-speed bullet train covers that in 5.5 hours. Wikipedia says it passes on the world’s longest bridge – a whopping 164 km.
That’s the train we’d booked ourselves into for our Beijing trip on Friday. It took one hour to reach Hongqiao Station. The station is huge – almost like an airport terminal. The metro arrives on the lower level which also houses the ticket counters with their snaking (and not single line) queues. The middle level exits to the outside and the upper level constitutes the departure concourse. After baggage screening, we headed to the nearest McDonalds, which would probably be our last meal of the day. For about 15 minutes, Yash regaled us with lessons in Chinese. The waiting hall was huge. But in 15 minutes, we were heading down to the train.
On first sight, you go…”Wow!!” The front portion that tapers out has a sightseeing gallery, and that is the most expensive part of the train. We were in the second class, which resembles the new-age rajdhanis and shatabdis that run in India – the only difference being that this train runs at an average speed of 300 km/hr. Attendants keep walking to and fro, cleaning up waste thrown by passengers. TVs are constantly running, but they can hardly be heard. An odometer in each coach informs the passengers of the speed. Being night time, nothing can be seen outside, but I don’t think we ever passed over a 164 km bridge.
At 11:30 pm we pulled into Beijing South Station…and everything was shut. A never-ending line waited for the taxi. Drivers were bargaining. The starting price was 400 RMB - too much by any standards. And Yash kept reminding us: “The hotel is just 4km from the station”. His efforts to bring the price down to 50RMB came to nothing. We had to finally settle for 150 RMB. The 5 of us were bundled into one car, and we drove for many miles. When we checked into our spacious three bedroom service apartment, it was already Saturday.
I can see the station down below from the window; it is just about 4 km from the hotel. But it happens to be some other station.
That’s the train we’d booked ourselves into for our Beijing trip on Friday. It took one hour to reach Hongqiao Station. The station is huge – almost like an airport terminal. The metro arrives on the lower level which also houses the ticket counters with their snaking (and not single line) queues. The middle level exits to the outside and the upper level constitutes the departure concourse. After baggage screening, we headed to the nearest McDonalds, which would probably be our last meal of the day. For about 15 minutes, Yash regaled us with lessons in Chinese. The waiting hall was huge. But in 15 minutes, we were heading down to the train.
On first sight, you go…”Wow!!” The front portion that tapers out has a sightseeing gallery, and that is the most expensive part of the train. We were in the second class, which resembles the new-age rajdhanis and shatabdis that run in India – the only difference being that this train runs at an average speed of 300 km/hr. Attendants keep walking to and fro, cleaning up waste thrown by passengers. TVs are constantly running, but they can hardly be heard. An odometer in each coach informs the passengers of the speed. Being night time, nothing can be seen outside, but I don’t think we ever passed over a 164 km bridge.
At 11:30 pm we pulled into Beijing South Station…and everything was shut. A never-ending line waited for the taxi. Drivers were bargaining. The starting price was 400 RMB - too much by any standards. And Yash kept reminding us: “The hotel is just 4km from the station”. His efforts to bring the price down to 50RMB came to nothing. We had to finally settle for 150 RMB. The 5 of us were bundled into one car, and we drove for many miles. When we checked into our spacious three bedroom service apartment, it was already Saturday.
I can see the station down below from the window; it is just about 4 km from the hotel. But it happens to be some other station.
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