21 Reasons Why I Choose High Speed Rail Over Flights For Most Journeys In China
Why High Speed Rail Is The Superior Choice For Travellers
Time Factors 🕗
1) Most railway stations are closer to the city centre, meaning less travel time to/from station.
2) You can arrive 20-30 minutes before departure, whereas you need to allow for 90-120 minutes for flights. Far less time anxiety and stress. I would not arrive more than 1hr before departure, unless you want to eat at the station (prices are more expensive than downtown).
3) Less time needed for security checks and procedures. It literally takes a couple of minutes (public holidays can take longer due to sheer volume of crowds). Rules for personal belongings are more relaxed with generally less restrictions.
4) Less time wasted for train to depart, whereas flight needs time for gate departure to takeoff and landing to gate arrival. Actual departure time is nearly always to the minute.
5) There is a significantly lower risk of weather related or traffic related delays. I have ridden the bullet train nearly 100 times and have only been delayed once due to heavy rainstorms. It is much harder to predict arrival times for flights.
Comfort Factors 💺
6) More legroom for all classes, making a particularly huge difference for economy passengers. Some people even place their luggage right in front of them.
7) I personally find the seats on bullet trains much more comfortable.
8) No exposure to most flight-related health issues, such as earache or dry air. The air pressure is at ground level, the air can be more comfortable for most people, and the doors are opened at station stops. Those who have travel sickness might find the train better (speaking from personal experience and my family agrees).
9) The windows are much bigger and allow in more sunlight, which provides a brighter cabin environment during the day.
10) You can enjoy the scenery during the journey, both urban and rural. Depending on the route, it could be spectacular.
11) You can walk between carriages. Most bullet trains are either 200m or 400m long. So there is an opportunity to do some light exercise.
12) There are more toilets on the train and you can go to the toilet at any time.
13) Both methods are very safe - HSR in China is statistically even safer than flights.
Convenience Factors 🛜
14) 4G/5G internet data included in your mobile plan is available throughout most of the journey - occasionally there may be bad signals. This means you can utilise the journey to produce effective work, losing less productive time.
So even though a bullet train takes 4hrs and a plane takes 2hrs, if you work for 2hrs on the bullet train, your unproductive time is roughly similar to the plane. That’s not even accounting for all the time savings mentioned.
15) You don’t have to stow your foldable tables away for takeoff and landing, you can use your electronic devices at all times, and you don’t have to wear a seatbelt.
16) Luggage is stored inside the cabin area, so you can have access to all belongings anytime and no time is wasted in retrieving checked luggage.
17) You can order takeaway delivered to your seat from stations along the route.
18) There are many more train departures per day than flights and each train has many more seats available. For example, the fastest trains taking 4.5hrs between Beijing and Shanghai depart practically every hour. Slower trains depart every 20-30 mins.
19) It’s easy to change your train if your plans change last minute and you are not travelling in peak season. There are normally no fees charged for this.
20) You can reserve a place in the queue for a seat on a particular train, and the system will notify you if you are successful.
Price Factors 🎫
21) The prices are mostly fixed throughout the year, compared to the fluctuating prices of flights due to season. Some specific trains may be slightly discounted. Please note that flights are often cheaper during off-peak season, especially for long-distance journeys.
My Take 👦🏻
You should only consider flights if either
a) You are travelling across multiple provinces and the fastest journey time by bullet train takes 6hrs or more (e.g. Beijing to Shenzhen)
b) The flight is significantly cheaper
