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[Melon Husk]

This is fucking China we're talking about. 5-10 years (tops) is a more realistic estimate.

He may have misread the article where it said the gas supply contract would apply for 30 years? I'd bet this'll be done before the California HSR.

 

[Alavard]

A quarter of a trillion dollars!?

To be completed in 2050.

I think it will end up being a lot more expensive than that. Projects of this size are quite often delivered way over budget.

 

[Laekon]

Not everything can be transported by air.

I'm unaware of any high speed trains that carry freight. The logistics of keeping passenger trains on schedule while there are freight trains that take 30km to slow down or speed up on the track doesn't seem practical. If it is then I see China being much more interested in getting to Europe then Russia.

 

[Nikodemos]

I think it will end up being a lot more expensive than that. Projects of this size are quite often delivered way over budget.

And if we add the Sochi-level grift Russians are world-famous for, it's almost certain it will be much, much more expensive than predicted.

 

[Wyndstryker]

China has the cash and manpower, this project will probably be done quickly. Probably the one of the few nations that can literally throw people at a project to get it done faster.

 

[speculawyer]

That's pretty cool. Hopefully it is electrified.

But it is a bit over the top. I think of high-speed rail as more of a regional thing, not a cross continent thing.

 

[ScottSullivan]

This is going to be China's "Big Dig"

I know their political process and red tape is cut down because it's one party in control of everything, but I could still see this costing them big time

 

[Jasup]

I'm unaware of any high speed trains that carry freight. The logistics of keeping passenger trains on schedule while there are freight trains that take 30km to slow down or speed up on the track doesn't seem practical. If it is then I see China being much more interested in getting to Europe then Russia.

There's the TGV Postal.
But anyway, we're not talking about high speed freight trains but trains that are a bit shorter, with more powerful engines that can carry cargo at considerable speed. On a line like this we're not looking at a very high frequency of passenger rail traffic anyway as there just isn't many people most of the way. It'll work if passenger rail is priorised.

And China is very interested in getting to Europe, that's why they want this link.
There's a reason for that:

 

[Nikodemos]

Linking China to Europe through Russia will keep being difficult to achieve as long as Russia keeps using broad gauge.

 

[weekend_warrior]

China needs a faster way to get 1 billion soldiers into Europe.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I wanna do a Trans-Siberian rail trip one of these days.

This would be fucking cool. We don't do things because they are cool anymore and that makes me sad.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

China still killing it in the high speed rail game

You ain't kiddin

 

[MJPIA]

you mean 18 million per mile?

I'm pretty sure Moscow and Beijing are further than 13.5 miles apart.

Did you all calculate with a potato? You divide the cost by length to get $/mi - in this case $55 million per mile. That's very reasonable actually as far these projects go.
Wikipedia.

More prosperity to the far east can only be a good thing. Go infrastructure projects.

Oh god I'm dumb.
I don't even know how I screwed up that badly.

 

[Delta Assault]

You edited, but I would love to have the whole world connected by rail.

Watch Snowpiercer.

 

[Syntsui]

Now that's something Bill Gates can't afford!

 

[Daemul]

Let's see who can finish the job first, our 1 mile long California high-speed rail or this...

 

[4Tran]

The Chinese government thinks that they're overly reliant on shipping through the Straits of Malacca so this project is one among a number of others to offset that reliance. China is probably going to benefit more from this deal as Russia is currently more dependent on foreign capital. Moreover, as the stronger of the two nations, being one of Russia's few friends is also highly advantageous.

 

[terrisus]

You edited, but I would love to have the whole world connected by rail.

There's the TGV Postal.
But anyway, we're not talking about high speed freight trains but trains that are a bit shorter, with more powerful engines that can carry cargo at considerable speed. On a line like this we're not looking at a very high frequency of passenger rail traffic anyway as there just isn't many people most of the way. It'll work if passenger rail is priorised.

And China is very interested in getting to Europe, that's why they want this link.
There's a reason for that:

I wanna do a Trans-Siberian rail trip one of these days.

This would be fucking cool. We don't do things because they are cool anymore and that makes me sad.

Again, this is the one that I really want to happen:

That would be awesome.