China’s airlines raise alarm as travellers ditch planes for bullet trains

More passengers shuttling between China’s two biggest cities are choosing to hop on a bullet train rather than a flight, as airlines struggle to match the convenience offered by the country’s ultra-modern high-speed rail network.

The shift to rail has become so pronounced on the busy Beijing-Shanghai route that China’s air travel industry has warned its market is being “eroded”, with airlines scrambling to lure back customers with cheaper tickets and free limousine services.

Passengers made more than 52 million trips by train between Beijing and Shanghai last year, while only about 8.6 million people took a flight between the two cities, according to civil aviation platform Hangban Guanjia.

Business travellers especially are increasingly viewing high-speed rail as a superior option, experts said, with China Railway’s fastest service now able to travel the 1,300-kilometer route in just over four hours.

Passengers also prize the flexibility and convenience offered by rail travel, as China Railway’s modern cabins offer stable internet access, charging points and large seats, they added.

Robust demand has turned the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway into a cash cow for the state-owned rail operator, despite the line suffering a string of teething problems during its first years of operation.