High-speed rail fares continue to rise, causing widespread concern in the society. As the pride of the mainland's modern transportation, high-speed rail has not only improved the travel efficiency of the people, but also become a symbol of the country's strength and development level. In recent years, the continuous increase in high-speed rail fares has also exacerbated the gap between different income groups in terms of travel rights, which has aroused doubts and discussions from all walks of life. In this context, whether the green train, as an important choice for civilian travel, can alleviate this urgent need has become the focus of attention.
1. The increase in high-speed rail fares exceeds inflation, increasing the travel burden of low-income groups
According to data released by the National Railway Group, high-speed rail fares increased by an average of 8.5% in 2022, while the consumer price index increased by only 2.1% in the same period. This means that the price of high-speed rail fares has risen far faster than the inflation level, which has brought a heavy financial burden to the majority of passengers. The main reason for this phenomenon is the rising operating costs of high-speed rail. With the expansion of high-speed rail lines and transportation capacity, labor, energy, maintenance and other expenditures are growing. In 2022 alone, high-speed rail operating costs rose nearly 10% year-on-year.
There are also significant differences in the degree of impact of the increase in high-speed rail fares on different income groups. For the middle and upper income brackets, although the cost of travel has increased, it is still within the affordable range overall. However, for low-income groups, the increase in high-speed rail fares has undoubtedly increased their travel burden. For example, a family of four will need to spend thousands of yuan just for a round trip to the high-speed train, which is undoubtedly a heavy expense for a family with a monthly income of only a few thousand yuan.
The continuous increase in high-speed rail fares has objectively exacerbated the gap between different income groups in terms of travel rights and interests, and has aroused widespread concern and questions from all walks of life. Some voices believe that as a means of public transportation, the fare decision of high-speed rail should not be too commercial, but should take more into account people's livelihood factors to protect the basic travel rights and interests of different groups.
Second, the role and shortcomings of green trains in civilian travel
In the context of rising high-speed rail fares, green trains have become an important choice for the general public to travel because of their low fares. According to statistics, the passenger volume of green trains will reach 1.08 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. To a certain extent, the green train has alleviated the pressure on people's livelihood caused by the rise in high-speed rail fares.
However, while meeting the travel needs of civilians, the green train has also exposed some shortcomings. Capacity is limited, and the supply of some popular routes often cannot keep up with demand. The service quality and riding experience need to be improved, such as sanitary conditions, seat space, etc., there is a certain gap with high-speed rail. In addition, the coverage of the green train line is not extensive enough, and it is difficult to get good service in some remote areas.
There are voices calling on the government to increase investment in green trains, continuously improve their transportation capacity, service quality and coverage, and truly give full play to its role as a means of travel for civilians. Only in this way can we alleviate the pressure on people's livelihood caused by the rise in high-speed rail fares to the greatest extent and protect the basic travel rights and interests of different income groups.
3. Policy guidance and suggestions
In the face of social concern caused by the increase in high-speed rail fares, the government and relevant departments are also actively responding. The person in charge of the Ministry of Transport said that he will work with relevant departments to study and formulate relevant policies to effectively ensure traffic fairness and take into account the travel needs of different groups.
On the one hand, it is necessary to prevent excessive commercialization of high-speed rail fares. Although a moderate increase in fares is conducive to the sustainable development of high-speed rail, people's livelihood factors should also be fully considered in the decision-making process to ensure the affordability of high-speed rail as a public transportation tool. On the other hand, it is necessary to increase investment in green trains, continuously improve their transport capacity, service quality and line coverage, and truly give full play to its role as a means of civilian travel.
It is necessary to build a multi-level and affordable public transport system at a strategic level. High-speed rail, general-speed railway, intercity transportation and other different levels of transportation should form an organic connection to meet the travel needs of different groups. Fairness should also be reflected in the fare policy, so that different income groups can choose the travel mode that suits their own conditions.
Only in this way can we truly achieve transportation fairness, narrow the gap between different groups in terms of travel rights and interests, and allow the broad masses of people to equally enjoy the convenience brought by modern transportation and share the fruits of national development.
The rising fares of high-speed rail have aroused widespread concern in the society. As an important choice for civilian travel, the green train alleviates this contradiction to a certain extent. However, in the long run, the government needs to introduce relevant policies, reasonably set fares, increase investment in green trains, and build a multi-level and affordable public transportation system, so as to truly achieve transportation fairness and take into account the travel needs of different groups. Only in this way can we let the achievements of modern transportation development benefit all the people and promote the common development of transportation and social undertakings.