China spending big on railroads

[AlanB]

Good news for train spotting?

"Railway sector
With over RMB 6.52 trillion to be input in the railway sector from 2006-2010,
China will build 17,000 km new lines, purchase 220,000 cargo trains and 26,000 passenger trains in addition to the holding of 580,000 units of freight vehicles. In the meantime, the 60-tonne freight trains, now numbering 600,000 or so in the country, will all be renovated into 75-tonne ones. "
Lifted from - CHINA METALS- published by China Economic Information Center, Xinhua News Agency

AlanB
Melbourne

[conradin]

Wonder what sort of gauge they will have to use when it comes to the mountainous areas.

[Conrail Quality]

Are any of these new lines going to be electrified? I know at least some are already.

[r.cprmier]

I have always maintained that-if done correctly, electrification is THE way to go.  It was proven on the New Haven-yup, all things considered, it worked out well-until the rapacious individuals (thou shalt name not those...)got their hands on the operation-and the money that could-and was-siphoned off nto thier sticky hands.

COnsider the process of putting an engine on line:  A steamer takes about 24 hours from cold to hot-an electric takes a call to the plant engineer at the power plant to add more capacity to line, do a start-up, and away you go.  Neato.  Just like electric trains...except theirs don't derail as much.

Rich