The decision by China’s government last week to abolish its railways ministry could have three possible consequences, which have raised concerns among the public after plans to scrap the debt-laden and scandal-ridden ministry were initially welcomed. (WantChinaTimes)

The article from which I grabbed that quote is entitled “Public fear higher prices as China’s railways ministry scrapped,” which tells you all you need to know. I don’t have a lot to say here, just a simple observation: of all the concerns that the public have about China’s railways, I think high prices, while important, should probably not be at the top of the list.

Or to put it another way: if because of restructuring, it is less likely that the train you take will end up taking a header off a bridge or smashing head-on into another locomotive, the public will no doubt accept some reasonably higher prices. And let’s try to remain optimistic here; as corruption is one of the reasons for the restructuring in the first place, perhaps there will be some savings in the offing! You never know.

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