CRI听力:High Speed Train Lines Offer Discounts

Trains that mainly run between Beijing and Shanghai and between the capital and Guangzhou have joined this round of discounts.

Unlike the previous discount policies, this time, passengers who buy second class ticket will also enjoy a discount, although the discounts in this category are not part of the official announcement. Plus, the discount will last for a whole year regardless when passengers make the purchase.

However, the discounts are only for passengers who travel from Monday to Thursday, and for weekends, the Mayday holiday and other national vacations are not included in the discount this time.

Yang Xuan likes traveling. She welcomes the ticket price cut.

"I will choose the high speed train when I travel if it goes where I want to go. Because it takes much less time to go to the railway station than going to the airport, not to mention the time you spend on security checks and having a long journey to the downtown area when you arrive at your destination airport. As a passenger, I welcome the ticket discount. But I wish the discount covered a longer time period and more lines."

Processor Liu Baocheng of the University of International Business and Economics says this is a step forward for the reform of the China Railway Corporation or CRC.

"The railway business used to be state owned. The first step to reform it is to have a corporation run the operation. The joining of private capital means the operation should be market oriented. Providing discounts is a necessary step to face market competition. For instance, the lowering of the ticket prices for business class and first class may attract more customers who used to take second class. This can better integrate the resources and lower the operational costs."

Nowadays, many air companies operate the routes between Beijing and Shanghai. The abundant flights result in fierce price competition. Big discounts are offered to passengers, sometimes even up to 73 percent, much lower than the high-speed train ticket.

Liu adds that offering discounts is just part of CRC's market-oriented reform program. He advises CRC to think about upgrading the service quality of the high speed train.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.