King's Cross to Beijing in two days on new high-speed rail network

The network would eventually carry passengers from London to Beijing and then to Singapore. It would also run to India and Pakistan, according to Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a senior consultant on China's domestic high-speed rail project.

A second project would see trains heading north through Russia to Germany and into the European railway system, and a third line will extend south to connect Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.

Passengers could board a train in London and step off in Beijing, 5,070 miles away as the crow flies, in just two days. They could go on to Singapore, 6,750 miles away, within three days.

"We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes," said Mr Wang. "The best case scenario is that the three networks will be completed in a decade," he added.

continued http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...il-network.html

I think this would be fantastic / Forget checking in 2 hours early / flying at odd hours - For me hop on in Surat Thani ( from Koh Samui ) and relax / Even if the trains are the same price as Flying , I would think a much more relaxing way to travel -

London Beijing flight time is 10 hours or so, compare with 2 days on the high speed train, my time is far too valuable. Also remember that you're unlikely to be able to do this run in one leg, so you'll be struggling with your cases through stations whilst looking for the right platform.

Unless there is some special arrangement made, think of all those border stops / visas that will be required.

High speed trains are fantastic as a replacement for short-haul flights. For example Rotterdam to Paris (centre to centre) is just quicker by train and a lot more convenient.

Trans siberian express,about time it got updated...it has always been a party train for the people who enjoy travel by train.

10 years??

Give me a shout in 8 years.

"We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes," said Mr Wang

NOW that will be interesting!

Edited March 9, 201016 yr by NADTATIDA1

"We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes," said Mr Wang.

How stupid, maybe as fast as planes from 1900.

Never heard that China is working on a train system, 3 times faster than the Transrapid.

Must have something to do with Chinese New Year, or so....

I think this would be fantastic / Forget checking in 2 hours early / flying at odd hours - For me hop on in Surat Thani ( from Koh Samui ) and relax / Even if the trains are the same price as Flying , I would think a much more relaxing way to travel -

Wanna bet?

I think this would be fantastic / Forget checking in 2 hours early / flying at odd hours - For me hop on in Surat Thani ( from Koh Samui ) and relax / Even if the trains are the same price as Flying , I would think a much more relaxing way to travel -

Wanna bet?

OK - I would imagine that once in your allocated sleeping car you would not be having to change trains and could look forward to a good meal in the Restaurant Car along with a good bottle of duty free wine /

That sounds great!

In our lifetime ...................... ?????

#It is not as far fetched as it seems , If you had trains in tunnels underground and run on magnets, it would be possible to travel at the speed of sound, with no moving parts or contact for friction then there would be no limits, Stopping quite quickly would not be a problem, you would where full harness seat belts.

Think what a wonderful adventure it would be. If the trip only even done the one time.

I would try it, considering that from house to house it currently takes 24 hours.

Even now, you can do almost the entire trip London to Singapore by train. The only problem is Cambodia and Laos, as you'd have to take a bus or plane to get from Vietnam to the Thai border, where you can board a train for the remainder of the journey

Good site for London to Thailand by rail

I know a guy who is a rail engineer, recently returned from China.. From the stories he tells me, I would never catch a high speed train in China. Built to a schedule with all health and safety principles ignored and skilled work performed by unskilled local labour wielding whatever tools they find in their villages..

Edited March 10, 201016 yr by tw25rw

I think this would be fantastic / Forget checking in 2 hours early / flying at odd hours - For me hop on in Surat Thani ( from Koh Samui ) and relax / Even if the trains are the same price as Flying , I would think a much more relaxing way to travel -

Don't know. It's not like watching comfortable the landscape passing by from the Oriental Express. It will be 250-350 kmh constantly for 2 days. Everything will be flying by. Maybe after watching that for hours your brain will start to rotate.

I guess it would be one way, to avoid Gordon's 'green tax', on all airport-departures from the UK !

Thailand to UK in 2 days is possible by coach, if you get the driver high on Yaba and hooch.

I'd love to make that journey.

I don't think it would be as easy as all that, but it would be a fantastic way to travel.

I reckon it would be more expensive than flying though.

If the connections and transfers could all be done with one ticket it's something I'd do once just to have the experience.

I'd also be nervous about a Chinese high-speed railway!!

It sounds like an episode of Thunderbirds, the maiden voyage of the trans-world express!

I think this would be fantastic / Forget checking in 2 hours early / flying at odd hours - For me hop on in Surat Thani ( from Koh Samui ) and relax / Even if the trains are the same price as Flying , I would think a much more relaxing way to travel -

Not if you need a visa fore all those counties I'm about to get my 3rd fat passport in 4 years, The fact that we can't get additional pages & the FCO have regonalised passport issuing, when the pages get full you don't want to fart about with countries that take up 1.5 pages for the pleasure of spending 5 hours asleep transiting through their country. Plus I would't fancy it if it broke down on the Russian Steppe at any time of year