In an effort to curb pollution, China has created remote coal mining hubs but the inadequate and inefficient rail infrastructure used to transport the fuel was unable to cope with recent heavy snow storms. Even as the snow let up, the railways remained overcrowded and the state railway operator had to impose emergency measures to increase deliveries to power producers in the south. The expansion of coal output in these areas, outside China’s traditional industrial heartland, has had the desired effect of shifting polluting activities away from the most populous areas. Freight railways have also had to handle more cargo since the government began to require factories to use railways to transport goods rather than roads. The Chinese government is now trying to address these problems by investing heavily in new high-speed trains that will be able to carry much heavier loads at higher speeds.
In an effort to curb pollution, China has created remote coal mining hubs but the inadequate and inefficient rail infrastructure used to transport the fuel was unable to cope with recent heavy snow storms. Even as the snow let up, the railways remained overcrowded and the state railway operator had to impose emergency measures to increase deliveries to power producers in the south. Freight railways have also had to handle more cargo since the government began to require factories to use railways to transport goods rather than roads. The Chinese government is now trying to address these problems by investing heavily in new high-speed trains that will be able to carry much heavier loads at higher speeds.