High Speed Train

The first time you hear high speed train, what comes to mind?  For me, I think of the Simpsons' episode of the Monorail--but much grander, longer, and faster.  Knowing the high speed train can exceed speeds of 216 mi/h, it makes me wonder if the train's velocity will turn my body to mush...  Will everything be a blur?  I also can't help but ponder whether or not Santa takes this route while distributing his Christmas gifts.

As our taxi pulled into the train station, I see a sleek, concrete structure in a modern design.  From a distance, you cannot accurately forecast its size.  The station looks small, as if only 20 people board each train, but it's not until you walk in that you realize how massive it truly is.

High Speed Train, Kunshan Station

Entering the train station.

You walk in at ground level to see that the station is not enclosed:  they have built two open walls to cheaply cool the area.  This room is a waiting area for those that come early to board.  

Waiting for the train while eating breakfast.

A few convenience shops and eateries, including KFC, line the walls, while the center of the room is filled with seating.  You can easily spot the ticket counter where you can speak with an associate to buy a last-minute ticket, or if you feel lucky, you can use the ticket machine.  We do not advise you to buy your ticket the day of; as you may notice in our pictures, the train fills up quickly.  You don't want to have a beautiful trip planned to Shanghai and never reach!  We buy our tickets in advance.  Interestingly enough, you can only purchase the tickets at the station, NOT the internet.  

Our train ticket.. can you read it?

The ticket is the size of a credit card. You can see the number 35.00, that's how much money it was to buy a one-way ticket.  The sign after it tells you the currency, which is RMB.  It was about $6 USD to ride to Shanghai in first class.  This is an incredible price--think about driving from Indianapolis south side, all the way to Lafayette in 13 minutes.  You don't have to worry about the gas expense or parking.  

Your waiting comes to an end when you see your train number flash in green on a large screen that looks like a scoreboard from a baseball game.  A herd of people gather around you as you push your way through the safety check.  You watch again for the name of your train to light up on the screen, then you scan your ticket, and climb aboard an escalator to the track.

Boarding the escalator to see the train come in.

When you make it to the platform, the crowd dissipates as you find the coach you will travel in.  There are many trains in the station.  Some trains pass so fast that you can't make out the shape of it clearly until they are  a distance from you far away.  When we boarded the train, this is what we saw:

The train, in all its glory. (Minor picture stitching problem, sorry! The track really is safe.)

Waiting for the train to come in.  Massive platform.

The numbers on the floor match the location of the coaches.  We were in coach #1.

The train waits about 5 minutes for people to board.  Economy is very busy, but still a comfortable ride.  If you can imagine the seats on an airplane, then you can easily picture economy seating.  There is a little more room per seat, a television is running, reading material is provided, your seat reclines, there is a fold-out table, and a foot rest.  

First class travels a little differently.  We had comfortable and spacious seats, a large window all to ourselves, a private restroom, and a seat behind the engineer.  There were only six seats in first class.  It was quiet and peaceful the entire ride.  Check it out:

Our exclusive seats.

Before you know it, the ride is over.  A trip that would have taken an hour and 45 minutes lasted 13 minutes on the train.  We depart and make our way to the Shanghai Metro.  

We had an amazing hostess!  I look like an Amazon compared to her!  :-)

Hongqiao Station - Shanghai

Disembarking

We had an incredible experience riding the high speed train.  It was far beyond my wildest dreams.  No, my body didn't turn to mush, and yes, I was able to make out objects as we drove past them.  It still is in question whether or not Santa would use the high speed train for his gift giving, but in all, I encourage everyone that comes to China to have an experience on the Bullet Train.