Flying without wings: Beijing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours (1,300 km)
Video: Riding China's high-speed train at 350 km/h — Beijing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours.
I used to think flying was the only way to cover long distances quickly. Then I took the high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai.
The idea felt strange at first. A train? For 1,300 kilometres? In my home country, that distance would take an entire day on the railway if the trains were running on time. But my Chinese friend insisted: "It's faster than flying, once you count airport time."
So I booked a second-class ticket. The price was 553 yuan, about £60. A last-minute flight would have cost more, and that's before adding the taxi to the airport, the two-hour security labyrinth, the boarding wait, and the inevitable "sorry for the delay".
On the morning of the journey, I arrived at Beijing South Station. The concourse was huge, clean, and efficient. Security check was thorough but fast, ten minutes from door to platform. No queues snaking around baggage drops. No staff shouting conflicting instructions.
The train slid into the platform silently. It looked like something from a sci-fi film: a sleek white bullet with a pointed nose. I found my seat which is spacious, with a fold-down table, a USB port, and a power socket. Legroom that actually fit my long legs.
As the train pulled away, a display above the door showed the speed climbing: 200 km/h, 280 km/h, 350 km/h. The buildings outside blurred into a wash of grey and green. Inside, the only sound was a soft hum. I could have been in a quiet library.
Two hours in, I ordered lunch from a trolley that passed by: a box of braised pork rice, still steaming. I ate while watching the landscape shift from the dusty plain of Hebei to the lush water towns of Jiangnan. The ride was so smooth that I could balance a coin on its edge (I've seen videos of people doing that; now I believe it).
Three hours later, the conductor announced we would arrive on time. I checked my phone. 4 hours and 28 minutes had passed. Beijing to Shanghai. 1,300 kilometres. Less time than two movies back-to-back.
When I stepped off the train in Shanghai, I wasn't tired. No sore back, no dry throat from recycled air, no lost luggage anxiety. I simply walked out of the station, took a deep breath of Huangpu River air, and thought: This is how travel should feel.
Later, I calculated the cost: £60. A taxi from central London to Heathrow would have been £50. For £10 more, I'd crossed the spine of a country that once took days to traverse.
Back home, I tell people: "China's high-speed rail isn't just fast. It resets your expectations." Most don't believe me. But I know what I experienced. And I know I'll never look at a long-distance train the same way again.