The development of the Chinese high-speed railway (HSR) system took place on a scale beyond anything 
the world has seen to date. After a decade of steady investment and construction, Chinese railways have evolved into an era of high speed. Although the completed HSR system has begun to benefit China’s society and economy by enabling rapid travel connections among cities, the fast pace of HSR technology deployment has outstripped the capacity of institutions and organizations to effectively manage it.
This book has two objectives. The first is to introduce the Chinese railway system to an international audience and document the evolutionary process of railway development in China. For the first time, this book clarifies the Chinese experience with HSR deployment and details the economic and physical achievements and related managerial issues and institutional challenges. The second objective is to discuss and analyze critical concerns regarding Chinese railway operations, management and institutional structure. This book analyses best practices of railway reform, reform strategies and considers how to improve China’s related institutions. This research reflects on experiences in other countries and policy implications for the Chinese railway system. The book makes recommendations for how to improve the capability and capacity of institutions and organizations, in order to achieve sustainable development of the Chinese HSR system.
Endorsements
“Reading this book by Chen and Haynes is an absolute delight. It offers an informed, non-technical exposition on one of the great miracles in China, the design and operation of an extensive network of high-speed railway connections. Not only the advanced railway technology is amazing, but also the effective institutional and spatial embeddedness of this new system. As a consequence, China is ‘getting smaller’ all the time. This book is an invaluable source of new insights. It should be on the ‘to do’ list of both practitioners and academics in the field, not in the last place because this opus positions the Chinese high-speed railway system against the background of railway dynamics in other countries.”
Peter Nijkamp, VU University Amsterdam
“Masterpiece on incredibly rapid deployment of High-Speed Rail network system in China. Experienced economical and societal impacts are examined especially with hot topic of regional disparity and equity. Not technical in the international competitive market but managerial and institutional issues inherent to the last fortress of the planned economy are examined in proactive as well as retrospective way with expert aplomb. Useful and informative for scholars in related fields as well as leaders who face promotion of institutional reform in a phase of rapid evolution.”
Yoshiro Higano, Tsukuba University, Japan
“This book has given a good explanation of the development of China’s economy and the evolution of Chinese economic geographical structure. Each scholar to undestand the Chinese economy, should read this book.”
Zheng Wang, Institute of Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hardcover: 250 pages
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited (July 20, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1784419850
ISBN-13: 978-1784419851