Beijing: The Ride In
Our group took the train to Beijing. It was a fourteen hour ride, but I’m glad we did it.
I can sum up how important passenger trains have become back in the U.S. with the observation that the ride reminded me more of Harry Potter than Amtrak. Trains were once the cornerstone of the American experience, but now I wouldn’t put a single dime of my tax money towards bailing them out if I had the choice (which I don’t). Sure, it’s the loss of a priceless piece of culture, but then again, I haven’t exactly seen many State-subsidized rickshaws on the streets of China either.
If it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work.
The nice thing about trains is that they have character. A well-worn train is “rustic”. An equally weathered airplane is a “mass fatality waiting to happen”. A train gently rocks you to sleep as it rolls along. An airplane jars you awake with the fear of death each time it hits heavy turbulence.
The difference is everything.
While our train looked rather beat up from the outside, inside it proved to be quite modern and comfortable. As for the sleeping accommodations, I can’t say I’ve slept better on any other form of transportation.
For me, the part of the train experience I was most looking forward to was the chance to finally be able to see the Chinese countryside. Since we departed Hangzhou in the late evening, however, I really only got to see the parts of the Chinese countryside that had overhead floodlighting. That is to say, I didn’t see much.
Nonetheless, inside the train my traveling companions and I had a nice meal in the dining car and then ordered ourselves some drinks. We got a bottle of Johnnie Walker, which was more ironic in this case than usual, as whiskey and a swaying train car are not a combination that facilitates “walking” in any way.
We had a great time.
I eventually made it back to our four-bunk sleeper cabin and get a good night’s rest before awaking to daybreak. I walked back to the picture windows of the dining car and took in the sights of the scenic Chinese cornfields, sunflower patches, and solid waste landfills before the train rolled into the suburbs and into Beijing.
I’ve heard that trains in China are generally over loaded and it’s difficult to find seating. Move from you seat to relieve yourself and you’re likely to be left standing. How crowded was your train?
You talk about not putting money to bail out Amtrak, but what about the airlines? The amount of money in government subsidies given to airlines greatly overshadows the amount given to Amtrak. Without the subsidies given to support air travel, it just wouldn’t work.
BTW I’m not a big Amtrak fan myself. They are grossly inefficient. 6 hours to travel the same distance I can drive in less than 3 hours. Backing up an entire train full of people to the previous stop because some idiot didn’t get off?
↓ Quote | Posted September 27, 2006, 5:32 amWe rode in sleeper cars, so there were no seats, just assigned cabins and beds. None of the cars between ours and the diner had seats, so I really can’t report on their condition. I’m sure what you heard was correct.
↓ Quote | Posted September 27, 2006, 5:45 amI would say that the difference between subsidizing trains and subsidizing airlines is that there are viable alternatives to trains. If trains were to fail, my life would not be directly affected. If the airlines fail, I’d probably be riding an oil tanker back to the U.S. That said, I’m not sure how all the airlines could possibly collapse. People still want to travel by air, so I don’t quite understand the need for the government bailouts.