Fast Train To China

Forget the slow boat: the Chinese are planning to build a rail network that will have passengers traveling from London to Beijing in just two days!  The following is from the Daily Telegraph:

China is in negotiations to build a high-speed rail network to India and Europe with trains that capable of running at over 200mph within the next ten years.   The network would eventually carry passengers from London to Beijing and then to Singapore.  It would also run to India and Pakistan … A second project would see trains heading north through Russia to Germany and into the European railway system, and a third line will extend south to connect Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.

Passengers could board a train in London and step off in Beijing, 5,070 miles away as the crow flies, in just two days. They could go on to Singapore, 6,750 miles away, within three days.  “We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes,” said Mr Wang. “The best case scenario is that the three networks will be completed in a decade,” he added.

Wow!  And they seem to be very serious:

China is in the middle of a £480 billion domestic railway expansion project that aims to build nearly 19,000 miles of new railways in the next five years, connecting up all of its major cities with high-speed lines. The world’s fastest train, the Harmony Express which has a top speed of nearly 250mph, was unveiled at the end of last year, between the cities of Wuhan and Guangzhou. Wholly Chinese-built, but using technology from Siemens and Kawasaki, the Harmony Express can cover 660 miles, the equivalent of a journey from London to Edinburgh and back, in just three hours.

Book me on the opening train!

Ridding Ourselves Of Cars

Low-Tech magazine looks at bicycles this week, and concludes that cars have to go.  Boy, I couldn’t agree more.

The problem is not that there is a lack of good roads – enough of these exist to bike from here to Mars and beyond. The main problem is that these are occupied by automobiles that are not only dangerous but also very inefficient both in terms of energy use and floor space.We don’t need any new infrastructure, what we need is to clear the existing infrastructure of inefficient vehicles and replace them with efficient ones. In other words: give all streets, highways, cloverleaves and motorways exclusively to bicycles and all other human powered wheeled vehicles. Get rid of cars. Why make things so complicated if the solution is so simple?

How could we live without cars, I hear those trapped in skepticism say.  The answer is clear:

Picture this for a second. If cars are gone, we are left with pedestrians (on the sidewalk), pedal powered vehicles (one part of the streets and the highways) and public transportation (another part of the streets and the highways, separated from pedal powered traffic, or underground) … For long distance passenger transport, we have trains. For long distance cargo transport, trains again. Short distance cargo transport could see the revival of cargo trams (streetcars). Electric vehicles could be a part of the solution, too, both for cargo transport and for the disabled, provided they keep the same speed as bicycle traffic.

The whole article is well worth the read, and the possibilities should be lightly discarded.

 

Whistler

I have lived in Vancouver for 29 years and had never visited Whistler.   Most people here would simply gasp at that, but it is true.  We don’t ski or board or ride a mountain bike, and we already get to see a lot of beautiful mountains every day;  so why bother to go to Whistler?

But it was our anniversary this week, we like to give each other experiences rather than things, and they have a train service to the village:  so why not?

In North America, at least, train travel is an expensive proposition; and it is no different on the Whistler Mountaineer.  But it is definitely worth it.  It takes about three hours to get from North Vancouver to Whistler and the train folks treat you well every mile of the way.  The views are spectacular and the train slows or stops for all the major scenic attractions — Porteau Cove, Brandywine Falls, Chickamous Canyon, etc.  The seats are comfortable and the service is good, with the attendants acting both as servers and as knowledgable travel guides.

And then there is Whistler itself.   Built in the style of a classic alpine village, the main part of Whistler is a long and winding pedestrian-only street, generally called the Village Stroll.  Most of the hotels have entrances on the Stroll as do most of the restaurants and stores.   It is pretty enough, and they sure go to some lengths to keep it clean and litter-free.  But to be honest, I didn’t much care for it.

My feeling was that I was in one of those large Vegas hotels, like the Venetian, where the entertainment and facilities are built along faux streets with faux sky ceilings.  Or like Downtown Disney near Orlando, Florida.

The trip in the gondola to the top of the mountain was fun — my wife very bravely fighting back her fear of heights — but it was cold and rainy at the lodge and so the views were limited (being in shorts and a t-shirt didn’t help either!).

One of the great pleasures, though, was the food.  We had dinner at Ric’s Grill and it was superb.   A pleasant room, in chocolate tones, with a mix of booths and free-standing tables, the service was good and the food even better.  I had a Filet Gorgonzola served in a Merlot reduction.  It was served blue as requested and was one of the finest meals it has been my pleasure to enjoy.   My anniversary gal had a seafood mixed grill that she declared to be excellent.

Ric’s also has a separate bar, called the Mix, where breakfast is served.  The classic benedicts were almost as good as the dinner the night before.  Hard to recommend this too highly.

All in all it was well worth the trip (especially the train ride for me) and I know one would get much more out of it if one got into the activities that are available — biking, rafting, trekking, etc — or were young enough to fully appreciate the nightlife and apres-ski atmosphere.  For me, for a relaxing day, I might catch the train in the morning, spend a couple of hours in the Village, and then return on the train in the afternoon.  That would be a treat.