Chinese high-speed rail firm to offer quiet carriages on Beijing-Shanghai line
- New service to be introduced by the end of the year, operator says
- Chinese trains have a reputation for being noisy places
The operator of a high-speed rail service between Beijing and Shanghai says it plans to introduce quiet carriages by the end of the year, and people on social media are making a lot of noise about it.
The Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co, which operates the 1,300km (800 mile) route, said the decision had been taken in response to customers’ demands, news website Thepaper.cn reported on Saturday.
People can indicate their preference to travel in one of the new silent carriages when they buy their tickets via the booking app, the report said.
Anyone who does so will be required to comply with the relevant terms and conditions, though these have yet to be made public, it said.
The high-speed train service between the two Chinese cities has been in operation since 2011 and makes the mammoth trip in between four and a half and six hours. A one-way trip costs between 550 yuan (US$82) and 1,750 yuan.
The report did not say if tickets for the quiet carriages would be subject to a surcharge, but most people on social media seemed in favour of the idea.