China, the science-fiction Tav competes with the airlines

The longest and most expensive high-speed train in the world is Chinese. After four years of work and 23 billion euros spent, the new railway line between Beijing and Shanghai will finally be inaugurated on Thursday. The distance covered - reports Repubblica - is 1318 km, similar to the one that separates Milan and Reggio Calabria. For those traveling on the fastest trains, which reach 300 kilometers per hour, the journey time will be more than halved: from 10-11 hours to just 4 hours and 45 minutes. Passengers on the 250 kmh arrows will need a little more patience, which will take eight hours to complete. All at a cost that fluctuates between 41 and 175 euros, even if tickets are already sold out for the next few months. It will be a veritable flood of people who will use the new red super trains to move between the two Chinese megalopolises: it is estimated that in 2012 alone passengers will reach 80 million. Result: the prices of airline tickets have already collapsed from 130 to 60 euros.

China Daily