| How much did you pay for the fare, i mean from Shanghai to Luoyang? The last time i took train trip in China is about 10 years ago. I remember at that time, the train number 1 -100 are the most experss ones. For example, 13/14 and 21/22 were running between shanghai to Beijing. Train 100 - 199 are direct express and 200-399 are express trains. Train with number 400+ are local ones. There were some premium compartment, called Ruan-Wo, reserved for ranking communist cardres. It means you had to be certain level official to ride a train in those compartments. In 1994, i managed to buy a premium Ruan-Wo ticket with help of a friend in Chengdu. I was successful sneaked on the express train to Beijing with some other two unqualified panssengers. We were OK for the first 6-8 hours then suddenly the crew started to check IDs. My two unfortunate trip mates had been kicked out to regular Ying-Wo compartment. Showing my Chinese passport, I told them i was sent to Sichuan by central government and was approved to ride premium compartment. Since at that time, i guess passport is not as normal as nowadays, the crew trusted me and let me stay.
I am sure many things of Chinese railway system changed since then, but that trip was still a fresh memory until today. Maybe it is because I think it is a steal for unqualified me to successfully ride that "premium" compartment. |
Back to Shanghai via Train 1660