June
30th, 2011, the official carrier of the first riders of the
Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail train pulled out from the Beijing South
Railway Station, bound for Shanghai.
With
the design speed of 350 kmh, the maximum speed is 300 kmh. Trains are
divided into first-class car, second-class cars, dining cars, business
cars and VIP tourist area.
To
meet special requirements of passengers, there are dedicated disabled
riding area, wheelchair accessible bathrooms and corridors.
Journey time for the 1318 km run, 4 hours and 48 minutes.
The full fare: second-class seat 555 yuan (£55), first-class seat 935 yuan (£93).
(To
compare; standard economy one-way fare, flight Paris to Rome on Air
France, 1120 km, flight time 2hrs, is £561, as at April 2012).
