AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHINESE HIGH-SPEED RAIL FROM THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE Dr. Chien Wen Yu, Neala Menz, Corrine Hunter, Yuan Ying Chen, Pamela Farias Bridgewater State University, U.S.A. Abstract High-speed rail is a great means of transportation in the world and a controversial subject in China and the United States. There are many socio-cultural, environmental, economic, technological and political issues related to the construction of high-speed lines. Safety and cost are serious concerns for each country. The paper discusses the result of surveys and interviews that the undergraduate research group of Bridgewater State University conducted in China and the United States in summer 2011. From a different prospective, the paper compares and analyzes the attitudes of the Chinese and American peoples towards high-speed rail, and discusses the issues the Chinese high-speed rail and possible causes of the 7.23 Accident. Introduction On February 8, 2011, the White House released a plan to invest another $53 billion into a high-speed rail network covering 80% of the population in 25 years. The Obama administration committed $8 billion in 2009 to begin work on 13 planned corridor lines. China is the world’s #1 builder in high-speed rail operation miles, driving speed, technology and integration capabilities. China has already spent about $400 billion on high-speed rail and boasts nearly 8,358 miles of high-speed rail lines that comprise 1/3 of the high-speed rail share in the world. The “Harmony” train made in China records the speed of 302.6 miles/hour (484.16 km/hr). However, there are serious safety, cost and technology concerns with the Chinese high speed rail system. There are also socio-cultural, environmental, economic and political issues and controversies of building high-speed rail lines in the U.S. and in China. As a new professor of management at Bridgewater State University, I consider myself (Dr. Chien Wen Yu) very fortunate to have received a grant from the BSU Undergraduate Research Office and External Affairs Office to take undergraduate students with me to China for 3 weeks to do research on high-speed rail at Beijing Jiaotong University and Shanghai Normal University. Beijing Jiaotong University, a top-ranked university specializing in programs of railways and high speed rail, has an exchange program with Bridgewater State University. Based on the nature of the research, I assembled a diversified undergraduate research team that consists of Neala Menz, Corrine Hunter, Yuan Ying Chen and Pamela Farias. We stayed in Beijing for 2 weeks from July 3 to 16, 2011. On July 16, we took the newly opened high speed rail from Beijing to Shanghai and personally experienced the train ride. We continued the research in Shanghai from July 16 to 23. Our high speed rail research trip ended in Shanghai and the group departed Shanghai in the afternoon of July 23, 2011. In the evening of July 23, the fatal and tragic 7.23 Accident happened, when the bullet train D301 (electric multiple unit) crashed into another high-speed train D3115 in the Wenzhou area of Zhejiang Province, which was under the supervision of the Shanghai Railway Bureau. At least 40 people died and 192 others injured in the accident. The following report is the result of our research, including 374 surveys/questionnaires, discussions with 2 student groups and their professors, interviews of 3 well-known professors and experts on Chinese high speed rail, as well as on-site conversations with a Chinese high- speed rail engineer and a Japanese railway track manufacturer who were riding the same high- speed train. The report is divided up in two parts; the first part is the survey and our explanation of the results obtained; the second part is our own research analysis and evaluation of both the 7.23 Accident in China and high-speed rail construction in relation to China and the rest of the world. Doing the high-speed rail research while the 7.23 Accident happened in China, we have a better feel for addressing safety and other issues regarding the country’s fast-expanding high- speed rail network. The purpose of this paper is to present, in an organized manner, all of the information we have collected between literature research, surveys, interviews, and group discussions. This is the first of several papers each group member will be contributing. Each of the papers will contain further analysis and use this information as a reference. Methodology A 9-question survey was used to measure participants’ attitudes towards the high-speed rail. The original survey was written in English, but was translated into Mandarin to be sure that participants would have no trouble in understanding and responding to the questions. Participants in the U.S. were collected for the survey by independent researchers using a variety of methods, including the distribution of surveys to friends, family, and acquaintances; approaching random participants in public areas; distributing the survey online. Most participants in China were selected at random and approached either on Beijing Jiaotong University campus (“student” group) or in Beijing South Train Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station (“migrant” group). The remaining participants were in student discussion groups that also answered interview questions. Survey Results What is the most important factor for your transportation needs? Countries convenience speed comfort price Total US 42 34 21 46 143 China 132 48 33 15 228 Total 174 82 54 61 371 How often do you travel long-distance? Countries weekly monthly quarterly yearly Total US 28 30 32 53 143 China 22 42 112 55 231 Total 50 72 144 108 374 What do you travel for? Countries business vacation visiting family study Total US 19 55 50 15 139 China 12 79 53 78 222 Total 31 134 103 93 361 What would you choose? regular speed Countries airline bus high-speed rail rail Total US 76 8 47 12 143 China 21 20 109 76 226 Total 97 28 156 88 369 How would you price the high-speed rail ticket compared to airline tickets? Countries higher than airline lower than airline Total US 24 93 117 China 15 206 221 Total 39 299 338 How would you price the high-speed rail ticket compared to regular rail tickets? Countries higher than regular rail lower than regular rail Total US 117 10 127 China 189 25 214 Total 306 35 341 Do you feel the high-speed rail meets your needs? Countries yes no Total US 94 48 142 China 184 47 231 Total 278 95 373 Do you think the high-speed rail will be the main transportation of the future? Countries yes no Total US 86 56 142 China 198 32 230 Total 284 88 372 Do you support building the high-speed rail? Countries yes no Total US 130 13 143 China 220 11 231 Total 350 24 374 Survey Conclusions In terms of transportation needs, American and Chinese respondents tended to have very different answers, with Chinese participants focusing primarily on convenience, while American participants having a wider range of needs. However, the majority of participants from both countries felt the high-speed rail met their needs. This indicates that people in both countries perceive high-speed rail as an effective mode of transportation. Another point of comparative interest between American and Chinese participants is the question about the high-speed rail’s viability as the transportation of the future. Chinese respondents overwhelmingly agreed (85.7%) with its viability for the future, whereas American respondents were more reserved (60.1%). This shows that despite supporting the high-speed rail, American participants have less faith in its implementation. There was also a noticeable discrepancy in responses regarding which long-distance method of travel the respondent would prefer. American respondents chose mostly airline (53.1%), with high-speed rail taking a distant second (32.9%). By contrast, Chinese respondents gravitated towards the high-speed rail (47.2%) with regular-speed rail taking a closer second (32.9%). History of High-Speed Rails For a rail system to be considered high-speed in China or Europe, it must travel at 200 km per hour (125 miles per hour). As for the U.S. it must only travel at a mere 145 km per hour (90 miles per hour). No matter where they are located, the high-speed rails are a way for people to travel long distances in a significantly shorter amount of time, without having to step on an airplane. The trains have become a preferred technology in many countries to improve the transport between major cities. The desire for more efficient and convenient travel by railway has been around for centuries. High-speed railways began around 1933 when Europe and the U.S. created the streamliner trains, which at 80 mph (130 km/h) were the fastest transportation option in the world. World War II stopped the development of any more railways, when the countries geared all resources towards the war. Italy had to stop its development of the ETR 200, a train that reached 126 mph (203 km/h) and had routes from Milan to Florence at the beginning of the war. After the war, high-speed trains became important once again, especially in countries where a lot of railway tracks were destroyed during the war. Japan built a high-speed train in 1957, and now decades later the design has been improved to achieve the speed of 135 mph (217 km/h). It provided services between Tokyo and Osaka. Due to the train design and speed, the nicknamed “bullet train” was born.