Jingjin Intercity Railway
From Beijingology
In the Beijing stretch, the train runs through Yizhuang Railway Station and the prereserved (but as yet unbuilt) Yongle Railway Station. In Tianjin, there is a sole stop (at which present-day trains do call from time to time) at Wuqing before the train reaches its final destination in central Tianjin. Beginning September 24, 2008, a few trains (per day) call at Tanggu station in Tianjin, which takes an additional ten minutes to cover. 59 pairs of trains are in service at present.
The train service is the fastest regular service railway service in the entire world, with speeds reaching 350 km/h. (This corresponds to 100 meters per second.)
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History
Construction started on the Jingjin Intercity Railway on July 4, 2005. The entire line opened in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics on August 1, 2008. The Jingjin Intercity Railway thus became the first-ever high-speed railway line for all of China, making it on par with Germany's ICE, Japan's Shinkansen and the French TGV trains. It, in fact, is the fastest regularly serviced railway route in the world, at speeds topping 350 km/h.
In September 2008, services to Tanggu station in Tianjin (which is located right on the seaside) commenced, but only a few trains call at Tanggu every day.
Route
The Jingjin Intercity Railway leaves Beijing South Railway Station heading east. It passes the 2nd Ring Road just north of Zuo'anmen Bridge, and zips through the 3rd, 4th and 5th Ring Roads north of Fenzhongsi, Shibalidian and Kanghua bridges, respectively. Just west of Exit 2 on the Jingjin Expressway, the HSR line joins the expressway and passes just south of the 6th Ring Road's cloverleaf with the Jingjin Expresssway at Xuzhuang Bridge. Through to the end of the Beijing stretch, the Jingjin Intercity Railway runs side by side with the freeway; geographically, it remains just south of the Jingjin Expressway.
The Jingjin Intercity Railway passes through (but rarely calls at) Yizhuang Railway Station just southeast of the Taihu central toll gate on the nearby Jingjin Expressway. There is a prereserved (but as yet unbuilt) Yongle Railway Station near the end of the Beijing stretch, just before the Yongledian Toll Gate on the Jingjin Expressway.
After passing next to the Yongledian Toll Gate on the expressway, the HSR line heads sharply south into Tianjin, where it no longer runs next to a freeway and instead passes over the Tianjin section of the Jinghu Expressway, as well as National Highway 103 and the Jingjintang Expressway. Finally, the HSR line enters Tianjin from the Outer Ring Road and ends in central Tianjin's main railway station.
Virtually all of the HSR line is built on elevated tracks, which has meant that the railway now travels in a much more flexible orientation and does not meet with at-level or lower-level trains and highways. (This is also technically required of HSR lines with speeds above 300 km/h.)
The Jingjin Intercity Railway has a total length of 113 km.
Speed
The maximum speed for passengers riding on the HSR service is 350 km/h, but in test runs with a Siemens Velaro-derived CRH III trainset, speeds of up to 394 km/h were attained on the HSR line. Journeys are completed in 29-30 minutes.
Pricing
The standard charge for 1st class is CNY 69; for 2nd class, the charge is CNY 58. On CRH III trains, deluxe class is available for CNY 99, but these tickets are unavailable through the automated TVM system.
Demand
Demand for the Jingjin Intercity Railway is high. At present, only a fixed number of trainsets run on the HSR line, this due to the fact that both Beijing South and Tianjin Railway Stations are not linked with any Subway lines.
First class is nearly always full, this being the fact that only a CNY 11 price difference separates the two classes.
When all Subway links are completed, trains will leave stations at intervals of no shorter than 3 minutes. (Present-day gaps are 10 to 15 minutes between trains.)
