Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway

 Beijing to Shanghai (around 1200 km or 720 miles)

1912 --  The two cities were FIRST connected by rail
1933 --  44 hour train ride
1949 -- 24 hours
1968 -- 21.5 hours
1997 -- 14 hours
2004 -- 12 hours
2011 -- 4 hours (when traveling at top speed)

Check out more at this Wikipedia link.  Train leaves about three to four times an hour from both Beijing South Railway Station (in and of itself masterpiece of futuristic architecture) to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station.

The last train from each station leaves at 1755.  The trains arrive in the other city JUST before 2330, right before the stations close.

After a few days in Beijing, D and I headed down to Shanghai to hang out with her friends John and Joe.

Trains have first class, second class and a dining car.  Some toilets were sit down, but some had squat toilets. The latter was a surprise, especially for these modern trains.

Litter free, shiny train staions.  We're not in Italy anymore.

Five seats a row, and 18 rows per car in second class.  The seats?  UNCOMFORTABLE.  Seriously, were they being cheap?  Or is that what comfort is here?  The seat felt as if it was pitching me forward off the seat.  I felt like I was doing a workout just to stay in the seat.

Plugs come with every set of sears, except their placement restricts stretching your legs out fully.

Maximum speed is around 330km/hr, but the trains cost less to operate at around 300km/hr.  "G" trains are the runs that are the fastest, some making only one stop and completing the journey in 4 hours and 45 minutes.  Most, like the one I was on, stopped at 7 station and total travel time is about 5 hours and 20 minutes.