According to their app, a round trip from Beijing to SFO is EIGHTEEN THOUSAND FUCKING DOLLARS for basic economy. Beijing to Newark is 9000. According to Expedia, Beijing to SFO through Newark is 2700 for basic economy. Apparently going halfway around the world and adding a transcontinental flight on the end reduces your ticket price by 15000 dollars?
Someone I know from Chongqing mentioned it at one point and sent me an article on how subsidies work. But they do have HSR subsidies for migrant work and some companies pay for it as well as part of some program. But slow trains are common in regional travel and afaik they cost the locals like 20 cents USD depending onincome. Cgtn had a story on it that I posted here at one point but can’t be bothered to dig through my 500 posts
heres the cgtn video. one of the train ladies mentions the reduced price, it costs 1 usd to travel 100 miles for one person on a slow train, some other videos cited 60 cents USD, and 40 cents USD. some villagers make around 200-400 USD each year so its pretty expensive for them unless they cut a deal with some agency. but of course goods are cheaper as well.
this image says ‘public welfare slow train’ on the side of the train https://www.marketplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC02728.jpg?w=768
afaik if you dont have public welfare you can take the train but they charge a higher rate
