Why the Shanghai Subway Makes New York's Look Primitive

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[@megaprojects9649]

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[@matsv201]

Pretty much everything stated aboit the maglev line is wrong. It wasn't China that built it, it was shanghai municipality. Chinese state railway was against it and blocked any expansion. And the cost of the maglev line is really not that high. $3b is wrong number, it's $1.3B, and that is actually pretty cheap.

[@charlesparr1611]

Shanghai, like all coastal cities that sit on river deltas, is going to be a long way under water in a few decades. I wonder what they have done to plan for that. Please note, I am sure they HAVE planned for that, the Chinese are not stupid enough to deny the realities of anthropogenic climate change note the inescapable fact of sea level rise that is now utterly unavoidable.... So they must have a plan for somehow keeping Shanghai liveable after it has all fallen well below sea level. A really cool mega projects would be an examination of various plans to protect cities from the coming floods...

[@matsv201]

@@charlesparr1611 if you belive that you are not very bright. Tabloids gave claimed that since the early 90s. The sea level have so far not risken even a cm... If you read actuall scientific literature in steed of tabloids you se that the science is far from that clear cut.

[@carddamom188]

As a nordpass user, the service is soooo coool...

[@charlesparr1611]

@@matsv201 oh look everyone, the climate change denialists are here! Yay!

[@Mohamed-bc3on]

I went on the Shanghai metro in 2015, and I was astounded. The network was so vast and deep down, you could take journeys of escalators going down or up, especially in an interchange station. Thousands would be on their phones because wifi was already widespread underground. Everything was so seemless and in order, and was very cheap. I went back to the Toronto TTC subway line, and I couldn't help myself but chuckle everytime I got into one of those trains.

[@suprPHREAK]

Toronto has been talking about a 3-stop subway expansion for as long as it took Shanghai to built 800km of track….lol

[@Mohamed-bc3on]

It took 7 plus years to extend 5 subway stations up north lol

[@anthonysnyder1152]

​@@Mohamed-bc3on 7 years for 5 stations? San Francisco took 10 years to build 3 underground stations and it will take another decade just to get an extension studied.

[@_seola_]

Scarborough is expanding the subway 3 stops, about 7.8 km, and it's gonna take 8 Fuking BLOODY years to finish "IF ON SCHEDULE", 8 bloody years for less than 8 KM. If it can finish within 10 to 12 years, thats gonna be a #$@#$@#$ MIRACLE.

[@anthonysnyder1152]

@@_seola_ Yikes, well things take time, the best we can do is kickstart as many projects as possible at the same time so we can have rolling openings rather than planning 1 at a time... that being said the only city really doing this in North America is.. I think Seattle. Which has ~60b USD in the pipeline for it's light rail extensions.

[@Nedlius]

I rode the Shanghai metro last week and it was fucking awesome. super clean, cheap, easy to navigate, and had consistently fast service. literally no negative experiences with it

[@BallisticBird-we8nc]

Agree!

[@s._3560]

And modern and comfortable!

[@IA100KPDT]

Latest I heard, senior above 60s get to travel for free on subways and buses in China.

[@vancat6232]

@@IA100KPDT That's true. I think it is basic care for the elderly. not true in the US?

[@zhanglini]

@@IA100KPDT even for foreigners!

[@MarkScott-n4f]

I am living in China at the moment and I still get nerdily excited about the metro system here in Qingdao. It's a very new transport network and new lines opening practically every year. Having grown up in Northern Ireland which has a grand total of three railway lines for the whole province and no local bus services after 9 pm, I will never take the infrastructure here for granted. Ok some hungover mornings on the way to work I do get annoyed when I have just missed a train and have to wait a whole 6 minutes for the next one. Then I remember my old commute to and from Belfast when the train would arrive 10 minutes after the bus to my hometown had already left and it was a 45 minute wait for the next bus. And then I laugh.

[@red_skies80]

Imagine even having rail service 😢

[@sharongillesp]

I remember the Bullet train in Japan, that ran as smooth, clean and on time as any American airport back in 1970. 50+ years later the American system is no better. And while China achieves that and a thousand other projects in 30 years, America hasn’t. Not even for ONE subway system in 30+ years. Yep, you laugh/chuckle to keep from crying. Hope to see you in China.

[@clem5474]

I live in Shenzhen, and they are expanding their metro system down here as well. Before I was living in Hangzhou. A city 45 mins away from Shanghai. I arrived in 2014 and there was only 1 line. now 9 years down the line, there are 16 lines connecting the whole city.

[@williamlucas5852]

@user-mc4fs6jc7w Yes, sometimes we have gotten so used to all the nice things around us that we do forget to appreciate how lucky we really are and get ourselves worked up over petty issues. I am from Singapore and it happens to me too this feeling of annoyance in those rare moments when the system does develops hiccups. Our mass transport system is also one of the best in the world and like China's, every stations here are also spotlessly clean, spacious and SAFE. But China's architecture and design are more mind-blowing and at a larger scale, that I have to admit. So, whenever I started to get agitated about some minor setbacks in our transport system, I just think of all those countries I had visited which have worse, or even downright horrific public transport, and instantly my inner peace is restored. 🤣

[@Bluespicygreen]

@@williamlucas5852me sitting here in the US where I don’t have a subway and the bus stops running at 10pm

[@ssomms2361]

In New York, you just want to get in and get out when you arrived your destination as soon as possible. To get away from the smell and stay safe. In China, you actually want to spend time in the subway area, like a mini mall. Where there is small shops and many things to see.

[@AntMcLeod]

USA, cheap, basic so I can get paid and you can get what you need...barley.....

[@tomaud]

... until it all collapses one day...

[@doujinflip]

Sure it's not Korea? The Seoul and Busan systems have quite a bit of in-station amenities, but I don't remember seeing really any shops in the Beijing, Shenyang, Xian, or Guangzhou ones.

[@birdyashiro1226]

@@AntMcLeodCheap, basic what

[@youarebeingtrolled6954]

@@tomaudagree nyc subway sucks

[@hectfab]

I use the Shanghai subway everyday to go to work and it’s the best subway system I have used in my life compare with other countries, it’s fast, cheap, clean and safe, it’s just an amazing system.

[@TheMightyZwom]

I was in Shanghai for a business trip twice so far and their metro is awesome. Yes, it is clean, yes it is punctual and as someone who can't read Chinese - you will easily find out where you are and where you need to go. It is also easy to use (you have a card that is charged with money and you pay for ride semi-automatically).

[@rtzx12570]

Used it from its begining until 2019. Fantastic is the word I use to describe it. Best I have been on including many newer systems HK, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo etc. Beijing's is as well as many others in China also very good. What makes their systems even better is that they connect up seamlessly with all the other transport systems be it long distance rail 3 main stations, the two airports or the long distance bus stations. Same in Beijing and Guangzhou, etc

[@bananagod6189]

shenzhen and chengdu metros are my favourite, even better than shanghai's tbh

[@farahabdulahi474]

its because they are all relatively new. Taipei has done a similar job with their metro and its fantastic as well. all built within the last 30 years (meanwhile the first tokyo subway lines were opened in 1927!)

[@tom-f2i9p]

I find the Tokyo metro system too complicated and boring.

[@backlogbuddies]

@@bananagod6189 Shenzhen is good, but Beijing is my favorite. Shenzhen has too many dead zones, imo. You still need to get off and ride the bus to get to a lot of destinations that aren't near tourist/business zones. Guangzhou is my least favorite. Wuhan's was pretty nice.

[@icebaby6714]

@@backlogbuddies You are all over China, mate.

[@rtweugene1]

I grew up in Shanghai, and as a kid and therefore being shorter than everyone, I was constantly frustrated about the crowds in the Shanghai subway that I loathed taking it for a while. After going to college in NYC and experiencing the old, cranky, and dark NYC metro, coming back to Shanghai and taking its subway felt like a luxury - I would take it whenever I can. The city government has promised that there will be a subway station within 1km’s walk, and as I am typing up this comment, line 21 is being constructed and a station is being built in front of my apartment - watching the construction progress is really astounding, for you could see significant progress being made every week.

[@KarlDMarx]

I used metros in a few Chinese cities: Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Foshan and Guangzhou ... Amazingly reliable and clean and reasonably priced. Shenzhen had an interesting feature: different lines on the same level for easy connection.

[@daveacbickford]

I've travelled on the Maglev and Subway run to Hongqaio airport to then get on the high speed train to Nanjing and it was a fascinating and spectacular journey, and totally agree it was super easy to navigate as an Australian who can't read or understand Chinese characters/Mandarin language, at no point did I feel lost, very cool experience 😊😊

[@amac2612]

and come back to our trains, well you have to live in a city to have trains. We have 2 bus lines. for the win.

[@robertglover-e6y]

labor is just too expensive in the west . you'd need to hire lots of foreign worker to get such an immense project done under cost

[@willengel2458]

@@robertglover-e6y CRCC manufactures all the rolling stocks, China also manufactures its own tunnel boring machines (TBM). CRCC has experienced geologists, architects, designers, and experienced workers on hand to build metro around the country.

[@ElusiveTy]

@@willengel2458 More importantly, and crucially, one of the very few benefits to China's totalitarian and authoritarian regime is that the bureaucracy and democratic processes get to go out of the window, so things can get approved and completed in very short periods of time. The labour is cheap because they don't have to worry about rights getting in the way and they make everything themselves, so they don't need to pay other countries or foreigners (expensive labour).

[@icebaby6714]

@@ElusiveTy Not just about the cheap labour, Chinese workers work very hard, and they basically work 12 hour shift, over the weekend and on public holidays as well, because they have very tight schedule...They are 100 times more efficient than workers in other countries. Chinese workers were an essential part of building the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR), the western section of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States.From 1863 and 1869, roughly 15,000 Chinese workers helped build the transcontinental railroad. They were paid less than American workers and lived in tents, while white workers were given accommodation in train cars.

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Shanghai metro line 11 just connected last month, June 2023 to the neighboring Suzhou metro line 11. You can now travel seamlessly between the 2 giant cities. Tim Chambers on KZbin has some videos on it and all the other china railroads for any enthusiasts. More lines between Shanghai and Suzhou are in the works. Suzhou is about 8 million people or so. Rm transit channel helps break down why the systems can be built so quickly.

[@chidiferdy7395]

Moment his channel name

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

@@chidiferdy7395 what's that?

[@xinyiquan666]

suzhou is 12 million people

[@enzhus]

I believe you still have to transfer in between these line 11 and it takes some walk. It would be better if there is no transfer required

[@evergreennj8950]

@@enzhus Yes, but how would you implement it. That like asking the NYC Transit system to extend a subway line all the way into the heart of Philadelphia without connecting to a Philadelphia subway line - is Philadelphia going to allow that?

[@SEAZNDragon]

As a Houstonian, the scale comparison made me laugh. We have a three line above ground light rail in our downtown that’s 20 years old. I can’t imagine a subway.

[@Planettransit]

Houston does this scale of infrastructure all the time, however it is only for cars and cars only.

[@SEAZNDragon]

@@Planettransit For sure. Sadly it also takes 20 years. Looking at you Highway 290.

[@ch4.hayabusa]

We have pedestrian tunnels... Also, things get pretty wet here, you'd have to worry about buoyancy. What we need is an airport rail link and the Shinkansen to Dallas. We can make the Nimbys happy by giving them feeder systems... they'll probably need to be pod based. Musk can push for it. Also, why has musk been speaking so much Japanese recently... Seems strange.

[@ramencurry6672]

Texas culture is very pro car. Plus conservatives have strong opposition towards public transportation. It’s about individualism even if it makes their society look primitive compared to the rest of the world

[@roflmatol]

@@PlanettransitJust one more lane, it will totally fix traffic. If the Katy Freeway had 40 lanes instead of 20, there would be no congestion

[@joshafc41]

Every underground system in the world makes the New York system look like you're going back in time

[@ipg6772]

Well, besides other American systems. Philadelphia.. 😅

[@jimmylam9846]

Houston or Texas as a whole ain't suitable for subway systems......Oil could flood the whole system

[@hanfucolorful9656]

@@jimmylam9846 Do you mean you will get oil only dig down 10 to 30 meters? that's good resource !

[@sciagurrato1831]

But the NY subway system has proudly led the world in the number of passengers pushed to their demise (this includes attempted homicides).

[@kongwee1978]

Yes, subway is backward communist product.

[@Max_Flashheart]

I rode the Maglev from Shanghai Airport to downtown and someone asked why there were no seatbelts. 430 Kmh was smooth and looked quick.

[@jeffdroog]

Okey dokey,please stop doing heroin though...

[@biochemwang2421]

Seat belt will probably kill you more neatly at the speed of 430 km/h.

[@Max_Flashheart]

@@biochemwang2421 Yup

[@fcukrealmadrid]

total waste of money

[@tomaud]

Seatbelts would be useless at the speed of a 430 km/h crash...

[@Mennion3]

When I first arrived in Shanghai, I took the Maglev to the connecting subway station and it only took around 8 minutes. When I left Shanghai, we took the bus and it took an hour and a half.

[@cleve21ful]

If you want to see subway trains and stations, then I would highly recommend their other cities in Shenzen, Xi'an, and Guangzhou. Best modern subways you'll ever find for the next 10 years!

[@lepoldbuttersstotch]

It's incredible that in SZ there seems to be a new line in operation every 1-2 years and massive planning. Something that can't seem to be agreed upon in North America, all we do is bicker and complain and do studies and talk and never actually build anything of note that benefits the masses (and overall happiness and productivity of the average man)...then you see the MSG Sphere in Vegas and you wonder how they can't make a proper transit system when they can make that...?

[@Western_Decline]

@@lepoldbuttersstotchWestern individualism is a brain disease. Need collective mindset and preference for public goods

[@1rjona]

I lived in Shanghai from 2014 to 2018. My apartment was on line 2. I would go to City center every weekend and on the other end of Line 2 was the airport. Before i left they added the line to Disney Shanghai. There was a new line (15 or 12 i think) that brought to strawberry fields near Shanghai

[@yurilon4125]

strawberry in Shanghai and Nanjing are off the hook they are the sweetest and juicest strawberry i have ever tasted but the catch is they put sugar on the field.

[@1rjona]

@@yurilon4125 especially at the end of summer when the farmers come in and try to sell their strawberries before they spoil. I remember buying those at 10rmb a kilo

[@yurilon4125]

@1rjona its the best lol feels kinda guilty about the sugar but they are soooo good.

[@ainsleyfrastructurekpopmashups]

I lived in Manila, I lived near Boni Avenue Metro Station. Because Line 2 extension is now opened up to Antipolo-Sumulong junction, it is now more convenient for me, to go to my father side relatives in either Antipolo, Cainta, or Marikina. I hope Line 9 will be completed as soonest as possible, in which it will be an important metro line connecting CBDs to Bayside, airports, and residential areas along the line.

[@1rjona]

@@ainsleyfrastructurekpopmashups yes, thats the dream. That the Metro Manila public transport would be similar to Shanghai. Im hoping the Makati subway gets finished. My parents live there

[@appleapple6053]

Well I can see you have done a lot research and work to compare the difference between Shanghai and NY subways. Thank you I love taking subways in China. It's quick and convenient plus cheap.

[@UzumakiNaruto_]

Meanwhile in Toronto, Canada we're struggling to open a 19 km, 25 stop Eglinton LRT line that was started in 2011 and is at least 3 years past its original projected opening date of 2020 and is at least 2 billion overbudget and is scheduled to possibly be ready by 2024. Also Toronto's next subway line named Ontario Line started construction in 2023 and is expected to finish by 2031 to build a 15 station, 16km subway line that's expected to cost between 17-19 billion dollars. Its sad to see how quickly the Chinese have learned to build such good quality public projects that can be completed in a relatively short amount of time while in Canada it can take many years if not decades just to get anything out of the planning phase and then many more years to get a project completed usually over the estimated completion date and over budget.

[@overwhelmingapathy721]

Simon, i just watched a documentary on how they raised the Kursk. It was an amazing feat of engineering. Thought a condensed version would be a great idea for this channel. 🤘

[@maartentoors]

In Amsterdam we recently built the Noord-Zuidlijn (North-Southline). It took 16 years to build a 10KM line with just 8 stops. There must be a lesson here.

[@marktg98]

That also had a lot to do with the fact the construction had to be halted constantly due to houses sinking into the ground above it.

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

😂😆

[@maartentoors]

@@marktg98 One would think those lessons were learned during the construction of the other line (51/53/54)..

[@marktg98]

@@maartentoors If there's anything Dutch politicians are bad at, it's taking lessons from past mistakes.

[@mischavanasperen3063]

@@marktg98 If there's anything to emphasize the truth in your post, it's the fact that only a few days ago our government flushed itself down the toilet. AGAIN.

[@shambles9]

Great video! One of the many reasons I love China ❤ I visited London once. On the very first tube ride from the airport, my train got stuck for 30 minutes. Other than that London was fun.

[@ri-oj1ul]

I just watched a few hour video on the The Supercollider that the US tried to build in Texas... the thing was supposed to be a giant loop of about 55 miles with magnets, in 20 years about 2 billion was spent and 14 miles of tunneling completed. The drama of getting this thing build was just so absurd it truly amazes me that we finish anything at all. Should have contracted the whole thing out to China.... would have had it done in a year

[@Darkmatter321]

So refreshing to see a western video that doesn't disparage China and shows how they have progressed on so many fronts in such short time. Thank you for this ❤

[@poros4588]

Yeah while subtly saying words like "authoritarian/communist china" If a government is competent in fixing the lives of its citizens then it's not "authoritarian"

[@TheMightyZwom]

@@poros4588 I don't think you understand the meaning of "authoritarian", if that's your definition...

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:00 - Chapter 1 - The timeline 2:40 - Mid roll ads 4:05 - Back to the video 6:45 - Chapter 2 - Methods 9:15 - Chapter 3 - The maglev line 12:05 - Chapter 4 - Conclusion

[@pauskie6]

Thanks

[@truthseeker000000]

I’ve travelled on the Shanghai maglev and China’s high speed rail system. It is world class! The American system in NYC is decrepit The London one is slightly better, but dystopian looking. The ‘authoritarian’ government, as the West LOVES to describe China’s CPC is very effective and made up of intelligent and highly educated political leaders. My country’s government (Singapore), has been described by the West, especially the Anglophone countries, like the UK, the U.S. and Australia as being ‘authoritarian lite’. We Singaporeans, like the mainland Chinese people, love our respective ‘authoritarian lite’ and ‘authoritarian’ governments. Singaporeans look at the UK’s and the U.S.’s dysfunctional versions of so-called ‘democracy’ and we say - thanks, but hell…NO THANKS. 😂 America’s version of democracy produces immoral clowns like Trump, gaffe prone Biden or morons like GW Bush. The West (Five Eyes nations France and Germany) are hell bent on shoving their toxic and dysfunctional government systems down the throats of countries they deem ‘undemocratic’. China’s communist-socialist government’s success at adopting capitalism probably drives Western democracies (like the US and UK) crazy. 😂 Moral of the story - there are NO ‘perfect’ political systems or type of governments in the world. There are simply different political systems that work well for each country, whether we think it’s right for them or not, is irrelevant. Non interference, non intervention and respect for each nation’s sovereignty is the best approach.

[@shaozhihao]

新加坡政府在过去和现在依然是我国学习的样板。 至于所谓西方民主，什么吊东西。

[@blink182bfsftw]

Not sure train systems alone validates such bold claims

[@nonilli0n]

@@blink182bfsftw exactly. There's a lot more to governments than shiny infrastructure projects. Just take a look at the CCP's human rights record and how it treats its own citizens. And Singapore isn't all that perfect either, (I'm saying this as a Singaporean myself).

[@blink182bfsftw]

@@nonilli0n yeah if everyone loved their government like this guy's claiming what's the need for squishing peaceful protestors under tanks? And jailing anyone who disagrees with their leaders

[@tomkelly8827]

As a Canadian, I tell everyone I can to look at Singapore's healthcare system. I think it is an amazing model for how to provide healthcare effectively and in a way that does not bankrupt the country

[@davidanalyst671]

The train stations are unbelievable too

[@pbworld7858]

I love how the word 'authoritarian' just had to make an appearance in this video, as if western countries aren't authoritarian in certain aspects.

[@tommyj6289]

This guy is ignorant as most of the westerners...

[@_seola_]

BC thats how they were programmed, to change their mind, they gotta visit China.

[@ipg6772]

Indeed!! Literally all our communications are being monitored by NSA, international cable tv channels are unilaterally being cancelled, nationalities are being added to a travel ban list, migrants kept in camps... I guess there nothing "authoritarian" in that. 😂😂

[@balkanleopard9728]

The common misunderstanding of the Chinese system of government is perhaps forgiveable given the twenty odd year anti-China hate campaign by our politicians and media. At least the video fairly shows what can be done when a society focusses its effort on improving the lot of its citizens - and it clearly shows that the Chinese people are just as innovative, smart and hard working as any other. What they have jointly achieved in the past 70 years is inspiring.

[@andia968]

USA is a corporatocracy not a democracy lol. Policies are controlled by big corporations and not by people.

[@cappaman73]

Phenomenal to finish a project like this in such a time frame!

[@JohnSmith-sm7ez]

Yes lucky slaves.

[@tomaud]

watch it collapse in such a short time frame!

[@AndrewManook]

@@JohnSmith-sm7ez It's China not america

[@AndrewManook]

@@tomaud It's China not america

[@naughtywizard]

@@AndrewManook try harder wumao

[@sugarsweethoney3078]

As Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader once said 'it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mice'. Chinese r very pragmatic people, they don't care what system or name u give it as long as it achieves results which give them better, safety and stability in life. In fact, they absolutely abhor the Western style in which everyone is divided into different groups/parties all fighting each other wasting time, resources and energy, nothing ever gets done. Worse the country practically goes into a civil war every few years when the elites go in for a power grab. The winner is usually the one with the most money and able to use the fake news and lies media to brainwash the population with their propaganda to vote for them.

[@doujinflip]

Problem is the Party itself is becoming seen as the fattest rat of all ☭🐀

[@Hottiger1818]

you summed that up pretty well, well done.

[@barkobummer]

THAT is the genius of western propganxx, you only have to say the w0rd dem0crazy and everybody switches their brain off.

[@naughtywizard]

You love Mao Zedong too I bet

[@sugarsweethoney3078]

@@naughtywizard I bet u love the idiot warmongering West with their brainwashing media machine.

[@slammerw3]

I'm currently in Shanghai near the Jing'an Temple metro stop. The subway is much better and more modern than in the west. There are partial or full walls between the platform and subway trains which really helps with preventing injuries / suicides etc. There isn't any trash around the metro and the city at large is extremely clean. The people and police are very friendly if you need help with directions etc. Almost all the sign are in dual mandarin and english so it's fairly easy to navigate the city. Also of note, if you can, get the shanghai subway card for iphones for convenience. One other observation: there are police stop points at every entrance to the metro ( they check the rider's bags and have airport style machines to scan them ) idk why.

[@ciditan1615]

That's called security check. You are welcome.

[@annarboriter]

Hey, which VPN do you use to be able to make this comment ?

[@slammerw3]

@@annarboriter It's best I do not mention publicly. But the main ones advertised all went down recently.

[@annarboriter]

@@slammerw3 It's a struggle to find an effective yet unpopular VPN service

[@doujinflip]

Security looks for flammables, knives, and alcohol in the bags, as these were equipment in mass incidents that previously happened. The handheld metal detection they do is a joke though.

[@Emphasis213]

Theres a subway station in nyc called canal st. One of the stairs leads down to one of the platforms and if you slipped while going down the stairs, you will hit a small metal barrier that stands between you and getting run over by a train. This efficient and simple barrier is an engineering achievement.

[@gingermintrose]

Lol

[@zacharycohen9985]

Not me trying to look for which staircase for thus adventur

[@emjayay]

@@zacharycohen9985 Both stairways going down to the N/Q to Brooklyn, I think. (At least one of them.)

[@godzillamothra5983]

live in NY in 2005, always watched where I sit, afraid of gums, LOL

[@icebaby6714]

Interesting, never heard of before, thanks for sharing!

[@thejudgmentalcat]

"If they didn't want to be made fun of, they wouldn't have made it this easy" 😂

[@newshodgepodge6329]

It doesn't have to try very damned hard. I wouldn't be surprised if the MTA has a maintenance backlog older than the Shanghai subway.

[@larrybethune3909]

We could use this kind of gumption in Toronto. Our Eglinton Line has taken 12 years for 19 km and we're not done yet.

[@zacharycohen9985]

For real, low population countries could use automated tunneling technology

[@willowmoon7]

If China has one thing going for it, it's completing enormous complex projects at insanely fast speeds

[@evergreennj8950]

China has a lot more than just 1 thing going for it - way more. Go visit it and you'll see.

[@musicdev]

China has plenty going for it. Completing enormous and complex projects is just the start. Fastest improvement in quality of life since the USSR? Check. Walkable cities? Check. Planned cities????? Check. At the forefront of technology in many areas? Check. Tackling climate change way more seriously than any other country? Check. On top of this, there’s obviously world-class public transit that only Japan competes with, world-class education, they’re catching up quickly in the semiconductor space, the list goes on.

[@piccalillipit9211]

30 year economic plans, thats the difference. When they plan a new city they put the subway in before they even break ground, then the railways and the power system, sewage, water all of that is completed years before they build the first building. They are already building the sites for their fusion reactors, they have not got any working fusion reactors - but they know then they do they will need foundations and power lines and cooling - so may as well get all that in and save 10 years. The things being started to be built today were planned in 1995

[@TheDysartes]

@@piccalillipit9211 It's the advantage they have of a one party goverment. They can plan long term, whereas western governments are hog tied by the fact they're only in office for a few years, possibly one term and at best two. So it only promotes short term planning, basically stuff they can get done in those few years. As a result governments of Western countries are only thinking about what they can get done before the next election. It's probably why most countries are a bit of a mess in terms of infrastructure.

[@piccalillipit9211]

@@TheDysartes Exactly - most people think China is a dictatorship but its not actually. Its that its structure of government is so alien to us we don't really have the words of the mental architecture to understand it. Its "socialist consultative democracy", and "whole-process people's democracy” you get to vote for the very local representative, they vote for the next level up, say village, they vote for the region and up and hp - 6 levels. And they DO consult on the ground in local meetings and referendums on projects and policies, and they constantly have these consultations. But the top is stable enough to say "as a nation we need this high speed rail" and that is NOT a thing you can challenge, it happens no pandering to anyone. 85% of people in China believe the government works in their best interests, and that's independent studies Im not sure I would like it- but it is extremely effective

[@henryorcustus3412]

I am from Shanghai and I remembered when the Maglev was built there were proposals to build a maglev from Shanghai to Beijing. This was canned due to exorbitant cost. They then proposed a Maglev line between Shanghai and Hangzhou, connecting a few other cities along the way. This almost went ahead as Shanghai government at the time was run by Chen Liangyu (who was purged in a power struggle years later against President Hu) who was famous for mega projects in Shanghai. However the project met resistance from local residents along the route as they feared the magnetic field radiation would cause harm and was eventually dropped. The remaining Maglev line to the airport remains a white elephant project that bleeds money till this day. The prices of the maglev ticket barely changed in 20 years reflecting how insignificant the ticket sales are compared to the running cost of this line.

[@somgears1589]

Chen Liangyu is a corrupt official. You think everyone doesn't know that?

[@JinghisKhan]

It's mostly a "huh, neat" thing these days, especially with Line 2 extending directly to the airport now.

[@annarboriter]

The Shanghai Maglev was built entirely with German engineering, where it was determined through an open process that highspeed rails are much more financially sustainable.

[@tomaud]

All this magnificent and cheap development will kill China financially and economically one day.

[@spider6660]

But still it's the only commercial maglev line in the world. Even Japanese maglev projects are delayed.

[@devroombagchus7460]

It’s hard to find anything dealing with public transport/transportation in the US that does not look primitive or lacking maintenance. Moving material included.

[@godzillamothra5983]

about a decade ago, I went to Guangzhou, and I was surprised at how modern the subway, and how cheap the ticket was, almost made me feel like I rode it for free, LOL.

[@barkobummer]

it's all part of the culture, chinese people prefer to travel affordably in China, they consider it imp0rtant, but here in the west, people prefer to be ripped off by expensive tickets, they fully loved the capitalistic nature of being expl0ited by a system they v0ted for...it's a matter of perspective. West prefers ide0logy over practicality, just l00k at U$A, it's not like they are sh0rt on money, but they'd rather its citizen sleep in tent cities d0ing drugs as l0ng as amarikans can stand in a line, every 4 years to put a cross on a piece of paper, v0ting for some wealthy billionaire to be president LOL... it must be so liberating to do that every 4 yrs.

[@jayknepp108]

12:10 "Say what you will about **insert authoritarian here** but they did make the trains run on time." 😳

[@DarkwarriorJ]

The thing is, most of them don't!

[@rahadityap2375]

First operation on 1993 and now is 803 KM is insane.. Until you find out Chengdu Metro which started operation only 2010 with 15 km and now is over 500 KM

[@alexius23]

I have used both the Moscow & Leningrad (St. Petersburg) subways. Both were magnificent.

[@jeffdroog]

So have literally millions of other people.They also think it's magnificent.

[@Vermilion2049]

As a Shanghainese born and bred. I lived through the rise of the Shanghai metro. Still remember first riding line 1 back in 1994. Shanghai metro is top notch

[@naughtywizard]

Did you enjoy drinking oil from the sewer?

[@dennish5150]

It is amazing how much you can achieve when you don’t have to drop bomb in other countries 😅

[@zupermaus9276]

The military industrial complex has eaten up $8 trillion since 911 to spend on US wars against foreign countries

[@mechannel7046]

Well said!

[@lkchoh1454]

It is better not to talk bad of other like Beijing air pollution very high PI of over 100. CNN never report & BBC never report of it, why need you to report? Too late the bright of USA is over.

[@passby8070]

Wars are expensive and creates a lot fear and uncertainty. Americans are under the control of the Military complex, more fear and destability means business will continue to do well at the expense of human lives. A never ending cycle....

[@annarboriter]

This comment is not going to age well

[@jzeng2022]

It was supposed to be a technical video discussing the subway system, but the vlogger didn't forget to mention the "dictatorship" government at the end. It doesn't really matter whether the Chinese government is a dictatorship or an authoritarian government. The dictatorship's massive investment in public infrastructure has allowed the Chinese people to enjoy convenient, cheap, and efficient commuting. As a Chinese, there is really nothing to complain about.

[@SaretGnasoh]

you are right lol. Really disgusting with the arrogance and conceit from these western channel.

[@alextjflorida]

because he has been brainwashed by his GOV and media. I have no respect for him.

[@bruce9813]

In other words convenient, cheap and efficient commutes excuse authoritarian dictatorships?

[@musicdev]

@@bruce9813no, in other words, if the people’s quality of life doesn’t change but more money gets squeezed out of them, they’re not living in anything resembling a democracy. You know…like in the US

[@draker769]

@@bruce9813 if I live in a democracy that makes life worse, I would rather live in a dictaatorship that make my life better

[@coweatsman]

It's not just Shanghai but Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Harbin, Xian and dozens of other major cities in China. The official policy was to build a metro for every city with more than 1.5 million people, now scaled back to 3 million but there are still dozens of those.

[@c1ue1]

What's funny is that the $1 billion price tag for the 30 km maglev in Shanghai is actually cheap compared with the now $100B projected cost for the existing California high speed rail.

[@vincentdesun]

Not to mention that $100B projection is still growing.

[@c1ue1]

@@vincentdesun No kidding. I think it is at $130B - even as not one single passenger has ridden one foot yet.

[@naughtywizard]

Because California has regulations and won’t fall apart like chinese bridges and buildings like the one that crushed a women’s netball team last week

[@c1ue1]

@@naughtywizard Yes, California has regulations which is why the 150 mile high speed rail will never actually complete getting built vs. China having built (and is using) 26,100 miles of high speed rail.

[@naughtywizard]

@@c1ue1 Go live in China then you communist

[@linket]

An update, the Shanghai Maglev is limited to 300km/h top speed currently in an effort to save energy. It's still cool but the CHR trains often exceed this speed.

[@icebaby6714]

I took it 3 weeks ago, it reached 301 km/h

[@TheJMBon]

"Because we're British and as with many things, we did it first and now we're sh*t at it." I love Simon's quips.

[@mikeybrant6305]

Shanghai is an amazing city. I went there a few years ago and want to re visit.

[@summersnow7296]

China is already testing their 600 kmh high speed rail. They could be in operation maybe 5 years from now from what I've heard. That will be incredible because it will link major metropolitans and make traveling within an area of 600Km diameter seem like a inner city travel. Think of the economic benefits and productivity gain China could reap.

[@jasonhindle4054]

I spent a lot of my time in Shanghai, October 2019, exploring Shanghai via its subway system. It is amazing. I'd hesitate to say it is better than the grand daddy, London, because so many of the destinations are very new. It's worth riding the system after 8PM - you get to see the 996ers grabbing food and drinks on the go, as they to their beds.

[@bellshooter]

As a rolling stock engineer (retired) I was involved in the supply and refurbishment of metro rolling stock to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzen, Guangzhou . China saw how the HK MTRC and KCRC served the populace of Hong Kong/ Kowloon and the New Territories. The big city mayors all wanted this for their cities. The largest world metro suppliers all created Joint Ventures in China to manufacture type A metros - 23 Metre cars 3+ Metres wide. At that time I was working for Adtranz/Bombardier having just left Metro-Cammell/Alstom . We even airlifted the first unit to Guanzhou to avoid being late! Oh by the way Birmingham Airport had the first MagLev shuttle, albeit a bit slower than either Shanghai or the experimental Japanese unit.

[@lisa.e5776]

My father is a 'dictator' in some ways but he takes care of all the problems and provides a better life for the family. He guides and teaches us how to be a good person. He sacrifice a lot of his life for the family. We love and won't change for any other ' Liberal father' . We feel safe and sound and know our family are in good hands.

[@adanphu4325]

The word primitive made me laugh. I like how you are nice and respectful

[@beijingbond]

Been on it a few times. The difference between this and Beijing's subway, for example, is that fellow passengers in Shanghai don't like people talking loudly to each other or on their mobile phones. It's a cultural thing between Shanghai (seen as a bit snobbish by other Chinese folk) and the rest of China.

[@stuartpeacock8257]

I can agree with Beijing’s passengers in that case. I live in glorious Devon, travelling by train and bus. Seagulls and sewage here!

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Quiet sounds nice

[@partyhu]

你可真好笑

[@zackwang9314]

I wouldn't call it snobbish, I think Shanghainese are more cultured and mannered than the people in beijing

[@-AstroLogical-]

Man, that intro is so badass. Please never change it

[@DucaTech]

Guangzhou metro is driverless and runs at 160 km/h

[@qiufusheng3058]

Very few can report unbiased trueful reports on China's great development; worthy to watch and appreciate it.

[@DucaTech]

In Toronto, ON, Canada; it takes 5 years just to build a goddamn subway station. Another 5 years for less than 5 km light rail tracks. Things go at such a snail pace and waste of taxpayer's money.

[@_seola_]

Next video show how spectacular is each station, that will truly make NY's look PRIMITIVE!

[@qiufusheng3058]

Indiot would claim her HSR is best the fast system in the world.

[@archstanton5973]

I prefer simple and utilitarian. One of the latest metro stations in Shenzhen, the Gangxia North Station, is built to impress even the most jaded architect but I prefer utilitarian simple as the massive amounts of money spent on the artwork in the Gangxia North Station would've been better used by saving the money in foregoing the "artwork" of the Gangxia station to keep fares down.

[@_seola_]

@@archstanton5973 Everyone has their own taste. There r fast and slow trains, there r elevators and stairs, there r bikes and cars, there r good houses and tents, etc. if you can't afford the good ones, you go for the others.

[@edwardbughiuc100]

a lot of subway systems make new york's look primitive

[@doujinflip]

New York's is primitive, built over a century ago by competing private companies.

[@DustinKreidler]

I like how on the NYC subway, you can tell that the system is 120 years old and was partially refurbished 40-50 years ago. You can really taste the history... literally. I bet it was magnificent, too... 120 years ago. 😕

[@Aapig]

China's Qinghai-Tibet railway has been built for more than 60 years. At the beginning they were brand new. After 60 years, they have been electrified and replaced with bullet trains. What I want to say is that time is no excuse

[@SK102938]

History is valuable. You ride the slow and smelly subway train, also you learn how poor and bad condition have to be, yet people still can take it. Don’t have to do any modification, just let it to take its natural course to become a museum!

[@beatricewan9958]

@@grape.juices Guess their printing technology is no.1 in the world, no competitors in the years to come! Who else will use cash but digital money by then?!

[@emjayay]

@@beatricewan9958 "print limitless money" is like "filming a movie" - phases that are commonly used even though technology has changed but everyone (else) understands what they mean. There is probably a name for that literary form.

[@louiswu6300]

Beijing the first line subway also has a history of 50 years. and the key point is not old. the key point is it should be maintained and keep cleaning.

[@gunsumwong3948]

So the cost per ride in Shanghai is $0.30. In New York it is $2.75 while The British in London charges $7.40. The cost ratio between Shanghai:New York:London is 1 : 9.16 : 24.66 Since this video New York subway ticket has risen to $2.90 from $2.75.

[@morningstararun6278]

London is full of upper middle class or high class people.

[@juustokasajuustokasa6109]

To be fair anything built century ago and then rest added on in the next 50 years or so and then left to rot with minimal repairs/upgrades probably isnt great compared to todays standards...

[@nicholaskoscinski5517]

I lived and worked in Shanghai around 2019 and I have to say that the metro system and generally speaking transportation infrastructure in China is second to none. It's absolutely insane how convenient and advanced China is compared to the US and Europe when it comes to these things. Walking around Paris subway tunnels makes you feel you moved a hundred years back in time 😂

[@DataD-o1p]

I visited Shanghai in October 2010 and was impressed with their system. I wish China could take over the U.S. for a few years and build a public transport system for us.

[@paulines4441]

I went on the Northern Line in London it was deafening and no air con but open windows with soot entering into the carriage which nearly suffocates you,like you're in a Coal Mine!

[@barkobummer]

and the smell of urine is so pervasive, almost like travelling in sewer line LOL

[@huiqinjinxi4514]

Love your videos! Thanks for the effort and it is very informative. Speaking of China’s system, 😂I don’t really care what other people call our government, but I love it. I feel free, safe and I can do whatever I want in China and never felt restricted, of course I am a law abiding citizen. ( born, raised in China and lived there for 27 years and been living in Australia since, so I consider myself in a good position to say something about both China and the west. China just like any Western countries, is not perfect, but we Chinese love the way of it. ) ✌️peace ✌️

[@verigumetin4291]

The problem isn't when you are lucky in china but when misfortune strikes.

[@MrTubesong]

⁠@@verigumetin4291you can say the same thing to every country. Misfortune can happen in any country

[@Hhhh22222-w]

​@@verigumetin4291Mofo trying to sound like some discount dollar store chinese fortune cookie.

[@Jellybean-gz4cj]

Well stated

[@cpear760]

"We're just like British Rail, love. We may be late, but we get you there." - Die Hard 2

[@ronberman8947]

In the meantime a 20 km.line In Toronto, Canada is still not finished 12 years later....

[@watching-think203]

You should say China's subway stations and high-speed rail system. not only shanghai

[@juicethreetwo]

NYC has built about 5 or 6 new stations in my entire life. I am 72.

[@am53n8]

After having just visited paris I can at least say one good thing about the london underground: it has infinitely more escalators and elevators than the paris metro and train lines. Any leg injury or disability and you're just shit out of luck

[@evergreennj8950]

Lack of handicap accessibility or access to public toilets in the Shanghai / Chinese subway system(s) are not things passengers have to worry about.

[@PRH123]

Hmm, the station where my son lives in London doesn't have an elevator, only a wooden (!) staircase... personally once arrived with a colleague at a station in downtown London to go to our hotel, the one lift was broken, there were no escalators, and we walked up about 200 vertical feet on a cast iron spiral staircase....

[@am53n8]

@@PRH123 oh it's far from perfect, and there's more than enough room for improvement. But Paris was so so much worse

[@PRH123]

@@am53n8 wow, Paris metro must be a real s-hole... I had colleagues who were violently robbed in the Brussels metro....

[@red_skies80]

@@am53n8Yeah, visiting Paris as a car-free tourist was.. interesting to say the least. Some of those stations are beyond labyrinthine. (Looking at you Châtelet Les Halles/ Opéra)

[@Raven-lo4wm]

So I recently went back to china for a few weeks over the summer. Subway stations (or at least the ones I went to in Wuhan, Chengdu and Shanghai) Were all practically the same. Very clean, very efficient, and security checkpoints to enter. HSR wise, the station in Wuhan was extremely large and lavish, great AC, etc. And I probably got scammed or smth in shanghai bc the station was literally not air conditioned. But the subways were top tier. 10/10, would reccomend :D. (Free wifi too.)

[@myfreespirit58]

SH subway is absolutely fantastic. I was in SH for 7 days in May. I used the subway every single day including some long journeys with 1 hour on a single trip. And the fare for the entire week costs just under a cup of iced Latte from Costa in SH.

[@mechannel7046]

Can you please cover the Shenzhen subway as well? It's supposed to be even better than the Shanghai subway

[@bryandeng570]

I am from Shenzhen. some of Shenzhen metro lines are quite new and mega metro stations built in the past 3 years. You can google Gangxia North Station to see the biggest metro station in Asia or probably in the world. Everyone will be mind-blowed when they go there the first time.

[@michaelmains6785]

Awesome video but just FYI, you completely butchered the explanation of tunnelling methods. Excavation using a "boring machine" is called TBM tunnelling which is the "production line approach" you refer to and is used for most of the metro tunnels. New Austrian Tunnel Method (NATM) is when they mine with traditional excavators and support the ground with shotcrete and bolts, this one is mostly used for shorter but larger section tunnel caverns like for stations and adits.

[@MIKA-il2to]

Simon mention Australia 😀

[@TayloredKC]

Maintenance going into the future is going to be a wild expense for all of the infrastructure.

[@chestnutridge4187]

So the solution is not to build at first place. Brilliant!

[@markchan8110]

Isn't it better, it creates jobs, especially in the future alot of jobs especially manufacturing are going to be taken over by AI & Robotics. The Chinese government are very smart, they think way ahead.

[@ygibsoon9261]

Still, throwing bombs is more convenient, without considering maintenance costs

[@chestnutridge4187]

@@ygibsoon9261 Or better.... We should dismantle all our existing infrastructures, including interstate freeways, to lessen maintenance burden for future generations.

[@Liveforfood9394]

In the city I live in Canada, it took 3 years just to repair an old bridge. Man holes are popping up so high and can scrape your muffler aquifer you are not careful. The roads are so bad that you I feel like riding a boat when I was driving through it. I love my country and city, but we have to accept the fact that we have lousy people that build the roads. Never mind about tunnels!

[@marktrinidad7650]

Its okay at least you're not in a dictatorship.

[@ngheanchoong]

You choose between two bad apple 🍎🍎.in your democracy system

[@elizalee1214]

I think you are talking about Edmonton...

[@leanlifer]

@@ngheanchoong At least Canada has more political parties, unlike United States.

[@partyhu]

正如博主所说，加拿大不独裁啊，很棒

[@flashgordon3715]

In California, it would take 7 years to get the permit.

[@NightMotorcyclist]

The problem is that NYC is full of bureaucratic red tape in getting ANY work done. Then there's the NYC Transit/ MTA fighting with itself in getting repairs and upgrades done all while trying to keep service running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not to mention that all this infrastructure is over 110 years old and thanks to over development of every borough, doing any kind of major work requires the closure of major roads and sidewalks which causing people to complain some more. I remember when they shut the NYC subway down over night during COVID and people were up in arms about it, but thanks to COVID rules in place getting work done with the stupid CDC regulations was still an issue. Then there's the riding public with a subset of people who either don't pay their fare or go on to destroy trains, buses and stations. A brand new subway rolled off the lot a month ago and within a few weeks was defaced when I boarded the train.

[@chench1lla]

Just take small chunk out of military spending, don't need charge fares.

[@NightMotorcyclist]

@@chench1lla The company is so mismanaged that a lot more can be done to trim the costs. Material for maintaining the tracks goes to waste due to Operations (Maintenance and operations are always at odds with each other because Operations takes priority over repairs) not allowing work to be done as it would get in the way of service until things break down beyond quick repair. Then there's the problem of NYC using funds for many useless projects that don't do any good for the majority of the population.

[@barkobummer]

THAT is the beauty of capital!sm, everybody wants a piece of action for themselves, so you spent more on planning instead of doing.

[@istvanpeterkovacs730]

The one of the busiest Metro line in the world is Budapest line 3 (blue line). Its average daily performance is 600 000 passanger. This number was reached in late of 80’s. Since then, the daily number of passangers fluctuated around this. If somebody show up a line that exceeds this passangers’ number consider the following. Budapest reached its highest population in the 80’s with 2.1 million inhabitants. Now it is just 1.7 million. The line 3 has 20 stations. On the line 2 the daily passangers are above 450 000. On line 4 is above 200 000 with 10 stations. On the ‘museum’ line 1 has max 35 000 passangers/day with 11 stations (it opened in 1896).

[@bcde]

I somehow still feel underwhelmed. I believe this presentation would have been better if it had more effectively shown the SIZE/SCALE of this network, as well as shown us more imagery/video from inside the system. I This would give the viewer a richer visual understanding and appreciation. But I suppose you're limited to using stock images/videos so it may not be viable? I enjoy your channels.

[@InfoSopher]

NATM was also used on the British side of the Eurotunnel. So how can you not know it? ;-) In general it's being used in (at least) sections of a large number of tunnels (at one point I heard over 50%, but not sure if true). It was initiated by the same person who founded the scientific society "ISRM" which has been conducting resarch into various engineering topics for decades. And also has many Chinese members. (There were two co-inventors. All 3 Austrian engineers who brought their knowledge together.) There are a few such societies. It might make sense to try to contact them in order to get some contacts who may be willing to help clarify engineering questions. They also have a number of online resources into contemporary science and engineering.

[@paulherman5822]

To complete the "Communist Trifecta" of subway systems, you need to cover the one in Budapest, Hungary. There's even a movie shot entirely in that one.

[@mark123655]

Whoever wrote the Methods section needs to do more research. Automated construction and TBMs typically use precast concrete forms that make up a cylinder. Rebar and shotcrete is used in more manual excavation that you might use for a station cavern for example.

[@alexius23]

I visited Shanghai in 1987. Buses & bicycles were very common with private cars being very rare. A few years ago I watched a film shot in contemporary Shanghai. I leaned over to my girl friend & told her how that was not the Shanghai that I had visited…..

[@partyhu]

欢迎再来啊

[@alexius23]

@@partyhu that’s easy for you to say…

[@joeqiao1691]

​​@@alexius23 mean, tourist visas are not super hard to obtain, but the plane fairs are def pricy post covid. I visit the city almost yearly prior to covid and man every time I am back it's just almost unrecognizable. New building here, new subway line there, new district completely out of thin air, new buildings in 陆家嘴, new bike share, new electric taxis and busses, the pace the city is developing is just staggering. It's prob how it felt to live in NYC in the 1910s or in London in the 1850s, where new neighbourhoods get built on farmland seemingly overnight. Here in Canada not much happens within 20 years, although Calgary's downtown and beltline area is redeveloping quickly, it's really nothing compared to the pace I saw in Shanghai. You gotta fast forward that by 20x to even get close.

[@JiajuChen]

I’m currently studying in Germany, a country quite satisfied with its signs. One thing i couldn’t help noticing, is that all over germany, the signs are always hidden to make the station more aesthetically pleasing, rather than functional. In Shanghai, in every single station, no matter which elevator, which entrance, how many people are packed in the station, you can always look up and find all possible info you would ever need. It is hard to get lost as long as you know your final destination. I never took wrong direction even if first time in a new station, and i never needed to stop to find out the right entrance and blocking people behind. In Germany, most stations do a poor job of showing all info at clear sight. You may get the wrong direction all the time repeatedly due to its lack of information at the right places. Yes you can always find extremely detailed plans in the corner, but it makes no sense.

[@KyrilPG]

I'm a bit baffled by the explanation about the tunneling method... If it was a tunnel boring machine it used tunnel segments and not shotcrete. If it used meshing and shotcrete, it was excavation equipment and not a TBM. Thry may have used both depending on the segments being dug but the explanation is confusing. The New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) dates back to the late 50's / mid 60's. It is a sequential excavation with excavation equipment and shotcrete on meshs to line the walls. It does not use tunnel boring machines and requires a rocky ground that can support itself while being dug. It can work in soft grounds as long as they have enough support. I thought Shanghai had more of a marshy ground, which is not suitable for NATM. That's earth / mud pressure balance TBM territory. But they may have a variety of rocky, soft and marshy ground depending on the location and depth. The speed at which they built the Shanghai subway is impressive, and certainly based on the fine subdivision and parallelism of tasks, not the tunneling method itself. They probably had at least one tunneling team between each station and not simply one or more teams sequentially digging the tunnel over the length of multiple stations. Having 200 excavation and tunneling teams building 200 shorter bits of tunnels is much faster than 20 teams building ten times longer tunnel stretches. To give an idea, Paris had more than 20 TBM's digging simultaneously through its underground for the first phase of the Grand Paris Express expansion project. Each only dug between 2 and 4 kilometers on average to speed up the process, instead of fewer TBM's digging much longer. Right now, nearly 100 kilometers have been dug, 24 TBM's have finished working and 5 TBM's are still digging. There will be another wave of digging with two dozen TBM's soon, mainly for the East and West sections of the huge circular line M15 (the South section is already dug and in the finishing and equipment stage). It still takes about 12 or 13 years to build 200 kilometers of new metro lines. So, Shanghai must have maximized parallelism to a level never seen before by massively multiplying the number of digging teams and equipment. Each one only being in charge of a very small fraction of the network. Plus extreme project management.

[@mark123655]

Agreed. Very poorly written section. My understanding of the pace from other videos is they are very standard in terms of station layout and build I suspect property resumption in China is a lot easier. But you've got to use the right TBM or tunneling method to suit the ground conditions

[@KyrilPG]

@@mark123655 Yup! RMTransit last video is also about Shanghai metro and primarily mentions Earth Pressure Balance tunnel boring machines (EPB-TBM) as the main type of digging equipment plus the marshy water filled underground. Which was quite expected for a city located next to an ocean and a large river. I did not count land acquisition in the time-frame as it is not construction per se, only building and digging time. Standardization helps a lot but only goes so far. Task subdivision and parallelism must have been the main reasons why they were able to build so fast. A kind of industrial scale production line for subways where each and every new line is subdivided in 10 times more tasks that are spread over ten times more building / digging teams than elsewhere in Europe or North America to reduce construction deadlines to the strict uncompressible minimum. That's why I mentioned the Grand Paris Express project : it is quite fast for Western standards, thanks to a rather fine subdivision and parallelism of building tasks but still far from the speed at which Shanghai metro was built.

[@passby8070]

We traveled 5 cities in 5 weeks during our China trip, all the subways absolutely amazing, not just the first tier cities. Any citizen over 60 is free, including my mother in law who is an Australian. Its clean, safe, affordable and fast. Theres nothing like it in the west, maybe in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan you will found something close, but not in any of the western countries that can come close.

[@fenlinescouser4105]

Maglev? Perhaps you could do an episode on Nevomo Magrail especially as SNCF have now taken a financial stake.

[@tiemenvanderbijl785]

where are the "delayed" and " overbudget" parts of this megaproject we are so accustomed to :). Another good one though thanks for making it

[@mols0n]

meanwhile in canada we can't even build a residential building in 5 years. absolute embarrassment

[@dvd4133]

New York Subway doesn't look primitive. It simply is primitive.

[@DanSoloha]

Simon roasting the British at the end made me actually laugh out loud

[@albertchua5151]

China invested lots in infrastructure. US invested lots in weapons and bases in diff countries.

[@John_259]

The linear induction motor, the basis of maglev trains, was invented by Professor Eric Laithwaite of Imperial College, London.

[@barkobummer]

the gunpowder that british empire used to l00t the gl0bal south was invented by China, so what's your point?

[@snarkyguy]

This is a welcome video seeing as I live in Shanghai! Nice...