The price increase of high-speed rail has sparked heated discussions, and the people are looking forward to the green car to solve their worries
Recently, the news that the high-speed rail ticket price will be increased by 20% has aroused widespread concern and heated discussions in the society. Experts and railway authorities believe that moderate price adjustments are conducive to improving the quality of operations, but also increase the burden of people's travel. Grassroots people want to run more low-cost green trains to relieve the pressure.
As the pride of modern transportation in the mainland, high-speed rail has developed rapidly in recent years, and its network coverage has been expanding. With the rapid development of the economy and society, people's demand for efficient and convenient travel is increasing day by day. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, railways across the country are expected to send 480 million passengers during the 2024 Spring Festival, an increase of 37.9% over the 2023 Spring Festival and 18% over 2019. The rising operating costs of high-speed rail also make it an inevitable choice to appropriately adjust fares to maintain the quality of operation and sustainable development.
Experts support a modest price increase
A number of experts said that the operating costs of high-speed rail continue to rise, and moderate adjustment of fares is conducive to maintaining and improving service quality and ensuring driving safety. The construction, maintenance, vehicle purchase and personnel management of high-speed rail lines require a large amount of capital investment. Appropriately increasing fares can provide more abundant financial guarantee for high-speed rail operation, thereby improving the operation quality and service level.
It is understood that China's major railway lines are currently in a state of loss, and only a few high-speed rail lines are profitable. In 2022, China Railway Group will lose as much as 69.6 billion yuan, equivalent to a daily loss of 190 million yuan. Although it will turn losses into profits and achieve a profit of 3.3 billion yuan in 2023, if the 8.8 billion yuan government subsidy is excluded, the railway as a whole will still be in a loss-making state. On the other hand, as of March 2024, the total liabilities of China Railway Group are as high as 6.14 trillion yuan. Moderate price adjustments are seen as necessary to improve business conditions and achieve sustainable development.
The cost of travel has increased dramatically
As the main mode of travel for many people, a 20% price increase will undoubtedly increase a lot of household expenses. Many grassroots people have reported that the cost of travel has continued to rise, and the pressure on life has increased.
Taking the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway as an example, the second-class ticket price from Beijing to Guangzhou will rise from 553 yuan to 630 yuan, an increase of 14.1%. For business people and tourists who frequently travel between the two places, the increase in fares will significantly increase their transportation costs. The increase in fares may also lead some people to choose other means of transportation such as cars, planes, etc., increasing the travel time and expense.
Looking forward to the green car to solve the worries
Many people hope that the railway department will open more affordable green train lines as an economic supplement to high-speed rail. Although the green train is slower, it has low fares and has always been the first choice for grassroots people.
Green trains have limited capacity and service quality, and finding a balance between fares and quality is key. Some experts pointed out that a flexible fare mechanism should be based on competition in the market and a variety of choices for passengers. The railway authorities need to strengthen communication and consultation with all sectors of society, fully listen to public opinions, formulate more scientific and reasonable fare policies, and take into account the basic travel rights and interests of the people while improving the quality of operation.
Governments need to weigh the pros and cons
The adjustment of high-speed rail fares is related to people's livelihood, and relevant government departments need to carefully study it, fully listen to the opinions of all parties, take into account the interests of both operators and the public, and grasp the balance between fares and service quality.
On the one hand, the government should strengthen the supervision of railway operations to ensure the rationality of fare adjustments and prevent fares from rising too quickly or too high. On the other hand, some subsidy policies can also be adopted to reduce the pressure on people's travel costs, such as providing subsidies for business people and tourists who often take high-speed rail. The railway sector should also strengthen cost management, improve operational efficiency, and provide the basis for reasonable pricing.
The adjustment of high-speed rail fares affects the whole body and is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. How to strike a balance between improving the quality of operations and alleviating the pressure on the public is an important issue that government departments need to think about. Only through the concerted efforts of all parties can high-speed rail, a modern means of transportation, truly benefit the people and contribute to high-quality economic and social development.