Dream of a Subway

After living in China for almost seven years one aspect which I always keep on comparing between India and China is the state of transportation in the cities of China. This comparison magnifies whenever I particularly step in to a subway or a metro station in any of the Chinese Cities. Now New Delhi having implemented the metro I always envisage when we have some thing like this in Assam .

Well even though it seems like a distant dream some times but I believe that it is not impossible . Well if you would like to replicate a MAGLEV train like the one from Shanghai Pudong Airport to the city travelling at a speed of 420 Kms per hour yes it is indeed a great vision for the future but implementing a metro for normal public transportation I would say Why not ? One of the reasons might be because of the fact that I have seen metros being implemented in quite a few tier two cities in China and it led me to envisage one around our dear Guwahati City.

Personally I would like to go green whenever possible but try to always avoid taking the metros during the peak office hours which is 8am-930am in the morning and 5;30pm to 6;30pm in the evening and only try to commute later or earlier then that in a bid to evade running and people pushing around,getting crammed and also argueing due to some of the said reasons. May be once to get a grasp of beijing life but not regularly.

Yes In china certain similarities are still visible with India at least in context to pushing around in buses, trains and even in flights at the time of boarding and deplaning ( which never the less always surprises me that Why on earth we are in a hurry for this ) but this cannot undermine the massive infrastructure which is built at least in all the major cities of China.

Beijing has the oldest metro network in mainland china and now already has around 15 lines, with 192 stations. The recently concluded LINE 6 ( name does not mean the number of lines ) would be operational in December 2012.

This line will connect 20 stations and be able to accommodate 1,960 people in a single run. That's more than can be carried in a single trip on any of the city's current subway lines .Line 6 will also be the fastest in the city's subway system, capable of reaching a speed of 100 km an hour. This is level where the progression of subway network in Beijing has reached. With a flat fare of RMB2 where you are allowed numerous stoppages to move around in the city I believe this is a exciting world of transportation.

How are the subways or metros advantageous . China's first subway went into operation in Beijing in 1969 followed by Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Apart from being the fastest mode of transportation in the city Subways have many advantages, including large-volume transport capacity, high efficiency levels and low energy consumption. They can also save land and boost economic development along the line. Now if it was 1969 in china I believe in 2012 why not in GUWAHATI. A Metro network moving serpentine amongst the landscapes of Guwahati will definitely be a sight to see. At least I would like realize this dream ........