Day four of Global Network Week at Renmin University of China's School of Business (RBS) let us travel to the city of Tianjin via the China Railway High-speed (CRH) rail service.
The CRH rail service is another example of a State Owned Enterprise (SOE) in China, operated by China Railways, which runs under the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China.
The high-speed rail line connecting the two cities is officially known as the ‘Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway’, and was the first in China to be built to operate at speeds above 300kmph (186mph).
Prior to visiting Tianjin, I was quite unfamiliar with the city, despite it being the fourth largest in China by urban population size. Located around a 2 hour drive away from Beijing by car, the high-speed rail line makes the 117km (72 miles) journey in as little as 33 minutes.
While the high-speed rail on this line is capable of reaching speeds up to 330kmph (205mph), the highest we saw during the trip was around 300kmph (186mph).
The high-speed trains on the network are known as Hexie Hao (和諧號), which literally means “Harmony”. Despite reaching speeds of around 300kmph the journey was surprisingly comfortable and incredibly quiet. The legroom is impressively spacious, and railway staff visits each carriage during the trip selling snacks and souvenirs. The whole experience, from entering the terminal to the trip itself, was similar to travelling on an airline – but perhaps more comfortable and relaxing.
After exploring Tianjin and enjoying some sightseeing and shopping, we headed back to Beijing via the CRH, where we were lucky enough to see the sunset fall over the city skyline. A great end to today’s Global Network Week activities.
About Global Network Week
Launched by the Global Network for Advanced Management and Yale School of Management in 2013 the Global Network Week has expanded to over 27 schools from 25 nations. Global Network Week gives students the opportunity to travel to another school for a one-week intensive mini-course.
About The School of Business, Renmin University of China (RBS)
Founded in 1950 Renmin University of China’s business programs were the first to be established in the People’s Republic of China. The School of Business is both EQUIS and AACSB accredited and in 2013 was ranked first in the study of Business Administration by China’s Ministry of Education. RBS first commenced its MBA program in 1990 and later launched its International MBA program (in English) in 2009. Since 1990 over 6,000 students have successfully graduated from Renmin’s MBA programs.
By Shaun Harkness, IMBA Class of 2016