For passengers, the new Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway – scheduled to begin operation by July 1 – means getting to destinations faster. For governments, it means a rare chance to develop local economies.
Running through four provinces and three municipalities, the high-speed railway will stop at 24 stations along its 1,318-kilometer path. All the stops were deliberately selected by local governments and, except for Beijing and Shanghai, the other 22 stations are totally new. Very few people – even taxi drivers – can tell you where they are, however, as most are located at unfrequented places.
One thing is for certain though: wherever the high-speed railway stops, rare chances for economic development are created. In order to seize the opportunity, almost all local governments – especially in Anhui and northern Suzhou, where economies are relatively less developed – have issued detailed construction plans around the stations in order to attract new business investments.
Using Jinan west railway station as an example, China Newsweek said the capital city of east China's Shandong Province is trying to build a new western town by catching the "express" of the high-speed railway. Its new station is located in a suburb far from downtown Jinan, with a planned area reaching 55 square meters.
A striking slogan clearly indicates the government's ambition: "Build a new central business district!" Construction of the new town may take up to ten years.
"It is really a precious opportunity to develop the western part of the city," China Newsweek cited a local official as saying.
However, not everyone appreciates the "opportunity." Local residents and villagers who are being relocated have many worries. For older residents in particular, it is almost impossible to get jobs once they lose their land. Moreover, some people have refused to move and are fighting for more compensation.
In addition, construction crews are racing against time. Most stations have completed interior construction and can start pilot operations at any time, but construction of supporting infrastructure, such as roads, still lags behind.
