The railway was long considered uncompetitive against the airplane. However, one route shows that trains can indeed keep up and pose a serious challenge to air traffic. So much so that more and more people are switching from planes to trains.
What kind of train/route are we talking about? Specifically, it is about the high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai. It is one of the most used high-speed lines in the world, stretching approximately 1,300 kilometers.
The special thing about it is: The railway is so successful on this route that flying hardly seems worthwhile anymore.
The airplane is losing against the railway on a route in China
How successful is the train connection? In 2024, 52 million people used the train, while only 8.6 million chose the airplane. The rail line is highly profitable and is expected to generate a profit of around 1.8 billion US dollars in 2024. This is reported by the magazine Jeuxvideo.com.
And increasingly, wealthy travelers are switching from planes to trains. Airlines are trying to counter this by offering partnerships and premium services or attracting customers with significant discounts. However, one cannot win against the train connection, and more and more people are switching.
On the Beijing-Shanghai route, the railway has indeed accomplished something that many considered impossible: The airplane is no longer competitive. It was long considered “impossible” or at least very unlikely that a train could economically displace the airplane on a route of 1,300 km in terms of passenger numbers.
Speed, comfort, and economy favor the railway
What are the advantages of the railway? The arguments for the train are speed, comfort, connectivity, and economy:
- Passengers can stay online throughout the journey. This is a crucial advantage over air travel, especially for business people and young travelers.
- Train stations are also centrally located in cities, the trains in China are punctual, and the onboard service is comparable to or even better than business class on airplanes.
- The high frequency of the train connection offers maximum flexibility, making travel easier and particularly cheaper.
From 2025, even faster trains (model number CR450) are set to be deployed on the route, capable of reaching speeds of up to 450 km/h. Currently, the fastest trains take about 4 hours and 18 minutes for the journey. With the new CR450, the travel time could be reduced to about 2.5 hours (via watson.de).
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