Experiencing thirty years of China's rail and metro development
In recent years in my travels throughout China I have been amazed at the progress in metro construction. This is a positive alternative to the increasing congestion created by rapid growth in cars. Up until 2002, Beijing had two lines; presently there are 22, with more expansion underway. The metro, although it can be busy at peak times, has really improved urban commuting and travel not just in Beijing but nationwide. I have arrived in cities visited maybe 20 previously to discover incredible engineering where previously no metros existed. Chongqing, for example, where tunneling through solid rock is both time consuming and expensive, created an above-ground monorail system allowing excellent views of the city and its two principal rivers. Dalian utilizes both conventional metros along with electric light rail lines. That city boasts a tramway system dating back to 1909. Its present two routes use modern rolling stock with some replicating the 'dang-dang' trolley cars of earlier years.
