China sets sights on rail record
China sets sights on rail record
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Discussion

simba1

Original Poster:

547 posts

230 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
How do the Chinese manage to do this. I'm thinking it took longer to upgrade the high speed eurostar link to St. Pancreas from Ashford in Kent.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7591608.stm

zcacogp

11,239 posts

274 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Erm ... using the UK as a yardstick for any major engineering project will always leave you feeling slightly amazed ...


Oli.

AlfaFoxtrot

407 posts

228 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
They have lots of cash, a vast amount of cheap labour, and essentially no planning laws. I was in Shanghai a couple of months ago and saw an elevated express track being built to Xi'an - if your house/village/farm is in the way don't expect much sympathy! The Chinese rail system is impressive though.

V6

3,781 posts

251 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
It is an advantage if you don't have to listen to anyone complaining. And you don't have to submit your spending accounts to the UK press for scrutiny. And you don't mind uprooting as many people as are in the way of the tracks.

crofty1984

17,064 posts

234 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
zcacogp said:
Erm ... using the UK as a yardstick for any major engineering project will always leave you feeling slightly amazed ...


Oli.
The Milau viaduct, while situated in france was designed by an englishman. I think that's wuite impressive. The milennium dome/O2 areana, whilst full of st, is an impressive structure. The Falkirk wheel. The new wembley stadium is impressive, the spawning of the industrial revolution...

Don't confuse lack of engineering talent with putting aholes in charge of doing it.

Edited by crofty1984 on Monday 1st September 13:22

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

228 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
zcacogp said:
Erm ... using the UK as a yardstick for any major engineering project will always leave you feeling slightly amazed ...


Oli.
Humber Bridge!
Thrust SSC
The hotel shaped like a sail in Dubai - WS Atkins design
Etc, Etc.

Edited by rhinochopig on Monday 1st September 13:20

AJI

5,180 posts

247 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
I was in shanghai until August this year.
I am in awe of how they get things done over there in China.
I mean they have an idea/business proposal/devlopment plan ...whatever...they just go ahead and get it done. None of the red tape that we have over here... none of the years and years of planning applications and discussions etc.... none of the stupid health and safety regulations to hold them back..... they just get on and do it. And in no time whatsoever they have brand new buildings, infrastructure, transport etc. etc.

This does have its downside such as people having to be relocated and also the soft laws on environment..... but new big projects are usually done by european or US designers/architects... and they are done to be environmentally friendly once built.

A little known fact is that many people who are to be relocated are given decent compensation. But what is lacking is the compassion and the guidence for the people to relocate.

In my view I think the old housing in places like Shanghai and Beijing are well in need of being pulled down and replaced by modern accommodation/developments etc. It is just that the people who live there do not know any different and have been brought up in it. Sometimes I think it is for the best to have to force these people to live better. (But then living better usually means needing more money... and this then brings us into another area of discussion)

off_again

13,917 posts

264 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
380KM/H in 2012..

And we are struggling to get Cross-Rail up and working by the same deadline. We are so doomed...

Swilly

9,699 posts

304 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
It is quite funny isnt it...

China, a communist country dominated by capitalist procedure...

The UK, a capitalist country dominated by commie union and socialist public sector procedure...

...and Crossrail is pencilled in for 2016 not 2012...

Howitzer

2,865 posts

246 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
I've seen why the Chinese can do things so quickly, in Sudan and Africa the quality of work is on par with a blind labradors.

Dave!

off_again

13,917 posts

264 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Swilly said:
It is quite funny isnt it...

China, a communist country dominated by capitalist procedure...

The UK, a capitalist country dominated by commie union and socialist public sector procedure...

...and Crossrail is pencilled in for 2016 not 2012...
8 years to build a train line? It gets worse! smile

The sooner we tarmac the whole of the South the better - make it simple to park, stick up offices and build houses.

Olf

11,978 posts

248 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
zcacogp said:
Erm ... using the UK as a yardstick for any major engineering project will always leave you feeling slightly amazed ...


Oli.
Really? That just slightly ignore the fact that the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was delivered on budget and on schedule and was in fact one of the best run major civil engineering projects in the world in recent years.


Swilly

9,699 posts

304 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
off_again said:
8 years to build a train line? It gets worse! smile

The sooner we tarmac the whole of the South the better - make it simple to park, stick up offices and build houses.
Most of it is underground, in twin tunnels, with 7 brand new underground stations.... 8 years is good going...

Ravell

1,181 posts

242 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Britain has massive engineering tallent, it's just a shame most of it is now shown abroad. Any enigneering projects on home soil in recent years seem doomed from the start by the bureaucratic machine.

zetec

5,240 posts

281 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
I just hope it gives more footage like this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw4zn-qw1oM

You get a real sense of speed as it passes under the bridge!

elster

17,517 posts

240 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Howitzer said:
I've seen why the Chinese can do things so quickly, in Sudan and Africa the quality of work is on par with a blind labradors.

Dave!
The Chinese standards are a hell of a lot better than ours.

Their Maglev train is awesome.

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

269 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
elster said:
Howitzer said:
I've seen why the Chinese can do things so quickly, in Sudan and Africa the quality of work is on par with a blind labradors.

Dave!
The Chinese standards are a hell of a lot better than ours.

Their Maglev train is awesome.
Maglev is German

AJI

5,180 posts

247 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Silver993tt said:
elster said:
Howitzer said:
I've seen why the Chinese can do things so quickly, in Sudan and Africa the quality of work is on par with a blind labradors.

Dave!
The Chinese standards are a hell of a lot better than ours.

Their Maglev train is awesome.
Maglev is German
Correct.
Germany back in the early 80's designed the system but never built a commisioned route for the train to run on. It took China a little over 2 years to design and build the Maglev route from the airport to Shanghai city.

Just over 2 years from from design beginning to working result !!
Can such a project be built that fast anywhere else in the world ?


elster

17,517 posts

240 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
AJI said:
Silver993tt said:
elster said:
Howitzer said:
I've seen why the Chinese can do things so quickly, in Sudan and Africa the quality of work is on par with a blind labradors.

Dave!
The Chinese standards are a hell of a lot better than ours.

Their Maglev train is awesome.
Maglev is German
Correct.
Germany back in the early 80's designed the system but never built a commisioned route for the train to run on. It took China a little over 2 years to design and build the Maglev route from the airport to Shanghai city.

Just over 2 years from from design beginning to working result !!
Can such a project be built that fast anywhere else in the world ?
Siemens are German too, doesn't mean that the transpennine express service improves. Or the maintenance is as good as the train.

Having worked on the railway I never get on trains. Most other countries I will.