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Railroad development
In 2023, China's high-speed rail network is extending at an unprecedented speed to the criss-crossing "four vertical and four horizontal" pattern. Up to now, the total operating mileage of China's high-speed railways has exceeded 50,000 kilometers, firmly occupying the first place in the world.
As a leader in the development of railways in the world, China's high-speed rail has won unanimous praise from passengers at home and abroad for its excellent technical level and efficient operation speed, and has been praised as a "model of modern high-speed rail".
Behind this prosperity, there are some worrying new developments.
In the past 2022, the total operating mileage of China's high-speed railways has set a new record of 40,000 kilometers and added 2,000 kilometers of new line sections.
Focusing on 2023, the operating mileage of China's high-speed rail is expected to exceed the 50,000-kilometer mark again. In such a context of the booming high-speed rail industry, it is surprising that some international friendly people have begun to openly criticize the "defects" of China's high-speed rail on various social platforms.
Far from abating, this criticism has intensified, raising concerns about whether it will cast a shadow over China's high-speed rail development.
In this regard, some enthusiastic Chinese netizens carefully sorted out and analyzed the three obvious shortcomings of China's high-speed rail based on the clues of foreigners' "revelations": poor catering service, too tight waiting time, and language communication barriers.
Although these three problems do not come from the speed and efficiency of China's high-speed rail, they directly affect the experience of passengers, especially foreign tourists. Netizens have posted to discuss, hoping to attract the attention of relevant departments.
Curiously, while these three "shortcomings" are indeed unacceptable to foreigners, they seem to be similar to those of some domestic passengers.
They bluntly said that even if they are not foreigners, they cannot be satisfied with the current quality of food and beverages, waiting time, language exchanges and other aspects of China's high-speed rail.
What is the source of this contrast? Is it because of the differences between Chinese and Western cultural backgrounds, which leads to completely different expectations and needs for the high-speed rail service experience? Or are these just some inevitable problems in the development of China's high-speed rail, which will eventually be gradually improved in the future? With these questions, we can't help but pay more attention to the rapid development of China's high-speed rail.
Experience high-speed rail
For foreign tourists who are about to embark on China's high-speed rail journey, they may be full of anticipation and excitement, after all, it is a dream that is difficult to achieve in their own country.
Once they actually stepped on the high-speed train, they began to feel an indescribable sense of loss and discomfort. The reasons for this are mainly concentrated in three aspects: poor quality of food and beverage services, too tight waiting time for high-speed rail, and language communication barriers.
These seemingly inconspicuous small problems have become the "three major pain points" that plague their high-speed rail experience.
First of all, let's take a look at the high-speed rail catering service that makes foreign tourists quite unhappy. As a group of people who love food, they have high expectations and requirements for every dining experience on the trip.
When they stepped on the Chinese high-speed train, they found that the dazzling array of delicacies on the dining car could not satisfy their pursuit of delicious food.
The disappointment revealed in his words is also the common sentiment of many foreign tourists. There are two main reasons for this: first, the price positioning of high-speed rail catering is generally high, far exceeding the level of mass consumption; Second, its production process still needs to be improved, and it is difficult to meet the diversified needs of passengers with different cultural backgrounds for food.
Not only that, but during the high-speed rail journey, foreign tourists also suffer from another painful ordeal - long waiting times. As a means of transportation known for its high efficiency, China's high-speed rail departs so frequently and with tight time control that even travelers from developed countries in Europe and the United States feel incredible.
The confusion and anxiety revealed in his words are also a portrayal of the feelings shared by many foreign tourists. Unlike the high-speed rail operation model in Europe and the United States, China's high-speed rail has had to significantly shorten the waiting time in order to get passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible.
Although this practice has improved operational efficiency, it has also caused some discomfort for foreign tourists.
In addition to the quality of catering and the waiting time of high-speed rail, the language barrier has also become another problem for foreign tourists. When they need to buy tickets, ask for information, or ask for help, they often find themselves in a difficult situation.
A woman from Germany said helplessly: "We really couldn't find any English-speaking staff, and even inside the station, the navigation instructions were in Chinese, which we couldn't understand at all."
It really made us feel very isolated and helpless.
Her experience is also common to many foreign tourists. From ticket purchase, entry, to the whole journey, the language barrier plagues them all the time.
Even more frustrating is the fact that even when it comes to seeking help from staff at critical moments, it is difficult to find a satisfactory solution. This makes people feel that as an increasingly international high-speed rail system, it seems that there is still a long way to go in taking care of foreign travelers.
In the face of these "three major pain points" frequently complained about by foreign tourists, a wave of discussion has also been sparked within China's railway authorities. They know that only by making significant progress in these key areas can they truly enhance the high-speed rail experience for foreign tourists, thus making China's high-speed rail a beautiful business card to show the country's image.
Do your best
In the face of the "three major troubles" frequently raised by foreign tourists about China's high-speed rail, China's railway department can be said to attach great importance to it. They know that only by making significant progress in these key areas can we truly improve the high-speed rail experience for the majority of passengers, especially foreign tourists, and make China's high-speed rail a beautiful business card to show the country's image.
First of all, in response to the problem of high-speed rail catering services, which was strongly dissatisfied by foreign tourists, the railway department quickly adopted a series of improvement measures. They realized that the limitations of China's high-speed rail catering process in the past could no longer satisfy the discerning taste of tourists from all over the world.
Therefore, they began to comprehensively optimize the production process of high-speed rail catering, and constantly introduced advanced scientific and technological means to improve the taste and quality of food.
In the specific operation, the railway department first established a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with high-quality catering suppliers, and selected the most distinctive and innovative catering suppliers through competitive bidding.
This not only helps to greatly increase the diversity of food and beverage varieties, but also ensures that each dish can achieve color, aroma and taste. At the same time, the railway department has also begun to improve the kitchen facilities inside the high-speed rail dining car, equipped with more advanced cooking equipment, so that the catering staff can use their cooking skills to the fullest and present more attractive dishes to passengers.
At the same time, the railway department has also conducted an in-depth study on the price of high-speed rail catering. They are well aware that exorbitant prices will undoubtedly become a major obstacle for tourists to spend.
Therefore, when formulating the new price system, the railway department deliberately set different grades of meal standards, which not only meet the needs of high-end customers, but also take into account the affordability of ordinary passengers.
I saw a clear price card hanging on the dining car, so that every tourist can choose the right package according to their own economic strength.
It is gratifying to note that these adjustments are beginning to bear fruit. Since 2022, the catering service of China's high-speed rail has begun to be well received by more and more tourists.
Not only are local passengers full of praise for the delicious food, but even foreign friends who used to have a lot of complaints have to admit that China's high-speed rail restaurants are now moving towards a more international direction.
Compared with the optimization of food and beverage services, the railway sector has spared no effort in reducing the waiting time for high-speed rail. They are well aware that the short waiting experience does make many foreign tourists feel uncomfortable and anxious.
Therefore, they resolutely took a series of resolute measures.
First of all, the railway authorities have dramatically increased the frequency of high-speed rail departures, making it more than 4,000 trains per day. At the same time, they also strictly control the waiting time of each train in the station, and strive to control it within 10 minutes.
While it is true that foreign tourists are a little scrambling for this efficient operation, it is a necessary choice for the railway authorities to make given China's vast territory and frequent population movements.
In order to further alleviate the anxiety of foreign tourists in the process of waiting for the train, the railway department has also actively implemented some intimate service measures at major high-speed rail stations.
One of the most prominent is that passengers are allowed to enter the station half an hour in advance and choose their seats freely under the careful guidance of the staff. At the same time, the railway authorities have also set out to optimize the transfer process between stations, in an effort to shorten the walking distance of passengers and create a more comfortable transfer experience for them.
Looking at these innovative service measures, many foreign tourists who were once puzzled by the "short waiting time" of China's high-speed rail involuntarily changed their original views.
They exclaimed: "It is really impressive that China's railway authorities pay so much attention to the needs of passengers."
In addition to food and beverage problems and waiting time, language communication barriers have always been a major pain point for foreign tourists. Fortunately, the railway authorities have also taken this issue seriously and have taken a series of practical countermeasures.
First of all, they set out to optimize the 12306 online ticketing system and added an English version to make it easier for foreign tourists to purchase tickets and check information.
At the same time, the navigation guide, radio broadcast and other services in the station are basically bilingual in Chinese and English, which greatly reduces the language barrier of foreigners.
At the same time, the railway department has also stepped up English training for staff, requiring all front-line service personnel to have strong foreign language communication skills. In practice, when foreign tourists ask for help, these well-trained staff are always patient and meticulous to ensure that each and every traveler's needs are properly handled.
Of course, in this process, the railway authorities also actively listen to the opinions and suggestions of foreign tourists. They know that only continuous improvement and optimization can truly meet the needs of the majority of foreign passengers.
A veteran passenger from the United Kingdom suggested: "Maybe the railway department can consider adding a physical ticket window in the high-speed rail station, so that it will be more convenient and applicable for some foreigners who are not good at using mobile apps."
After receiving this suggestion, the railway department immediately began to study and pilot it. In the end, they decided to resume physical ticketing operations at some key high-speed rail stations, which undoubtedly greatly reduced the barriers for foreign tourists to enter the station.
With the unremitting efforts of all parties, the overall experience of foreign tourists for China's high-speed rail is also constantly improving. From the "three major pain points" in the past to the praise today, this positive change is undoubtedly encouraging for the railway sector.
They know that only by continuously meeting the needs of the majority of passengers can China's high-speed rail truly become a beautiful business card of the country's image.
Go
After a series of adjustments and optimizations by the railway department, the overall experience of foreign tourists for China's high-speed rail has been greatly improved. The quality of catering is improving, the waiting time is being alleviated, and the language communication barrier is gradually being resolved, and the "three major pain points" that once troubled them are being solved one by one.
However, for the future development direction of China's high-speed rail, foreign friends have also put forward some points worth considering. They believe that although China's high-speed rail has made remarkable achievements in the pursuit of speed and efficiency, there is still room for further optimization in some more detailed service experience.
A business traveler from the United States put it bluntly: "I understand that China's high-speed rail has to shorten the waiting time in order to improve operational efficiency, but I feel that this is a bit of a sacrifice for the comfort of the journey."
I suggest that the railway authorities should consider adding transit stations in some key sections to create a more leisurely and comfortable ride experience for passengers.
Some of the concerns revealed in his words do reflect the common sentiment of many foreign tourists. They wanted to keep things running efficiently while maintaining the comfort of their passengers.
After all, for European and American friends who are keen on high-speed rail travel, comfort and service quality are often their top priorities, not just the pursuit of faster speed.
In addition, some foreign tourists have also put forward more specific suggestions for improving the problems of China's high-speed rail in terms of catering and language exchange. For example, some people have suggested that the railway department can further enrich the food types of high-speed rail food trucks and introduce more delicacies with local characteristics to meet the needs of tourists from different cultural backgrounds.
At the same time, they also hope that the railway department can add more foreign language support in the ticketing system and station guidance, so as to create a more friendly and convenient environment for foreign passengers.
The railway authorities have attached great importance to these pertinent opinions and suggestions. They know that only by continuously listening to the voices of the majority of passengers can they promote the continuous optimization and upgrading of China's high-speed rail, so as to become more and more stable on the road of future development.
A staff member of the railway department said: "We are very grateful to foreign tourists for their attention and support to China's high-speed rail, and their valuable opinions will become the driving force for us to move forward."
We will definitely make greater efforts in catering, service, language and other aspects to make China's high-speed rail a truly world-class transportation brand.
Although China's high-speed rail has a good reputation in the international arena, it also faces some urgent problems. In addition to the "three major troubles" reported by foreign tourists, even ordinary domestic passengers occasionally feel some discomfort.
For example, the quality of catering, waiting time, language communication, etc., these issues have always had a certain impact on different stages of China's high-speed rail development.
This also shows that even among domestic passengers, there is still a long way to go to optimize China's high-speed rail. However, it is reassuring to know that the railway authorities are fully aware of the seriousness of these problems and are taking proactive measures to deal with them.
They are well aware that only by continuously improving and perfecting the service experience can China's high-speed rail truly become a beautiful business card highlighting the national image.
It is foreseeable that China's high-speed rail will show a more international development trend in the future. It is not only necessary to continue to maintain the advantages of efficient and convenient operation, but also to better meet the needs of the majority of passengers in terms of catering, service, language and other aspects.
When that day comes, not only domestic tourists, but also foreign friends from all over the world will be fascinated by it and praise China's high-speed rail.