Beijing – Tianjin High-Speed Railway: Tianjin in 30 Minutes (Part II)

All Aboard!

So we made it. Into the thing that’s supposed to do 350 km/h, Beijing-Tianjin, 30 minutes, zippy fast, laser speed… vomit comet? (We picked that one off Twitter.) That’s the thing. See, the Harmony (和谐号，CRH China Railway High-speed) was designed with smoothness in mind, and although it’s not as smooth as the Swiss trains (running at about 200 km/h, tops), it’s still extremely smooth to ride in.

Getting onto saner things, we find ourselves in one of those trains that — like Beijing South Railway Station, was made with someone who obviously was airborne a lot more than — rail-borne. First Class in the Harmony looks like — First Class on an airplane.

We are talking about reclinable seats, headphone ports (although many just carry an iPod to listen to their music), footrests, everything. All that’s missing are the kitchen sink, and — of far more use to your productivity-mad co-blogger — power ports for the laptop. (But just how much work can you really pull off in just thirty minutes?)

 Top Speed: 348 km/hr

We have to admit one bad thing about the Harmony, though: the buzzer noise these doors make when they’re opening and closing are vomit-inducing enough. (And they don’t come with control buttons — better not crash!) (Nobody likes being stuck in a derailed train, unable to flee.) If you have fallen in love with the tweet-ish-sounding Line 5 door alerts, the ones on the Harmony are — well, less than harmonious. (We hope this article doesn’t get “harmonized”. But oh well, we digress.)

With the doors now sealed, it took less than about six or seven minutes for the train to speed up to incredibly fast speeds. Within about five minutes, we had passed Beijing’s 5th Ring Road — remember, this is the kind of stuff that only express trains can pull off! (Ordinary car drivers have to put up with incredibly long jams, blahdy blahdy blah.)

By the time the train reached the Jingjin Freeway in Tianjin (with gorgeous scenery next to the freeway no less), the display read: “Current speed: 348 km/h“. This thing was doing its thing (pardon the pun). Within a few minutes, the train stopped at its only mid-point station — Wuqing, Tianjin,

It’s interesting to note that trains that go all the way up to 350 km/h will kind of “breathe” halfway through and take a quick doze in either Yizhuang High-Speed Railway Station or Wuqing High-Speed Railway Station. The train will stay at the station for up to five minutes before reattempting speeds that give the TGV potential nightmares.

My trip to Tianjin was — well, optimal and sub-optimal. Next to me was a guy with an iPod touch (a Mac compatriot) who unfortunately seemed to yak on the phone a bit too much and boost too much musical oomph out from the earphones. Oh well — included in the train ticket is a speedy, smooth ride — not included is an indication who might be travelling with you!

Destination Tianjin Railway Station (天津火车站)

“This isn’t clicking in with me. We’re at our destination in just 30 minutes! I’m gonna have to get used to this kind of thing!”

The passenger sitting next to me on the return trip (a lot more enjoyable — almost sleep-inducing) had a hard time getting the time right. A to B — 100 miles plus — 30 minutes.

Once in Tianjin Station, you’re pretty much treated to a bit of the same old, same old, a la Beijing South. You leave the station underground, and head for the exit.The funny thing is that Tianjin Railway Station is much more magnanimous with its offering, station square-wise. It’s no secret that the front of the station is — well, almost yawning empty. And yes, Tianjin is in Olympics mode, like its northernly neighbor (northwesterly, if we’re to be geographically accurate).The inside of Tianjin Station is no less spectacular on the outside. There’s plenty of room for what must be thousands or even more passengers.Unlike Beijing South, though, where you board the station through two side access gates, in Tianjin, it’s a single access gate. They do give you two more faregates, though, but a little maths shows Beijing’s at 6 in all per platform; Tianjin has only 5 per platform. Once you’re past them, however, you’re safely back in the Harmony. Next stop: Beijing South. (Once again.)

Bits and Bobs Worth A Mention

• The announcements on the return journey did seem to be a bit on the loud side — and rambling side; we were treated to no less than about 10 to 15 minutes of official blahdy-blahdy-blah.

• If you’re on a wheelchair, you’re given access to wheelchair-friendly toilets in Car 7, right along with the First Classers. (Now that’s really nice!)

• The Chinese are big believers in cooked, hot water (白开水, bai kai shui), so the train’s also equipped with these. (They’re not in the 1st class carriage, though.)

• Doors between the cars open and close based on sensors.

• Seats can be rotated 180°.

• Both stations are without Subway links at the moment — what a downer! Lines 4 and 14 are promised for Beijing South; Tianjin, though, has outdone the nation’s capital with planned links to Lines 2, 3 and 9.

• Finally, good to know (even though we’ve mentioned this before): return tickets cost you an extra CNY 5 if you buy them at the same place (but where the “From:” location is different).

So is this 350 km/h-er for everyone? Giving this one a try never really hurts. (Apart from hurting your pocketbook, really, but hey…!)

Beijing South <-> Tianjin High-speed Train Time Table

• Depart from Beijing South Railway Station

• Depart from Tianjin Railway Station

Source from here published at July 30, 2008.