RE: Peak Petrol
September 10, 2023 at 2:56 pm
(This post was last modified: September 10, 2023 at 3:55 pm by Anomalocaris.)
A little trivia. china built over half of the world’s extent high speed rail, all on new tracks, in less than 20 years. how is that possible and what incentivized it?
The need to prevent passenger rail traffic from interfering with rail transport of coal.
In early 2000s china experienced an unusual cold and snow spell that spiked electricity demand, and with it the immediate demand to transport coal. the cold spell so happen to occur during chinese spring festival, which is otherwise known as largest human migration on the planet. most of the passenger travel occurs by rail. passenger rail transport had priority over freight transport, so coal train waited, power stations idled, while passenger trains moved. that single resulting nation wide blackout resulting from interruption of coal supply cost chinese economy half the total cost of chinese high speed ra network.
preventing similar coal supply interruption was the reason the chinese suddenly pivoted to building a separate high speed passenger rail network.
so chinese HSR exists to protect coal delivery
The need to prevent passenger rail traffic from interfering with rail transport of coal.
In early 2000s china experienced an unusual cold and snow spell that spiked electricity demand, and with it the immediate demand to transport coal. the cold spell so happen to occur during chinese spring festival, which is otherwise known as largest human migration on the planet. most of the passenger travel occurs by rail. passenger rail transport had priority over freight transport, so coal train waited, power stations idled, while passenger trains moved. that single resulting nation wide blackout resulting from interruption of coal supply cost chinese economy half the total cost of chinese high speed ra network.
preventing similar coal supply interruption was the reason the chinese suddenly pivoted to building a separate high speed passenger rail network.
so chinese HSR exists to protect coal delivery
