Are K-prefixed trains green trains?
2 Answers
K-prefixed trains are classified as fast trains, which include some ordinary express trains, commonly referred to as "green trains". Introduction to green trains: Green trains, with their prairie green exterior, are a colloquial term for Chinese railway passenger cars painted green with yellow stripes and lacking centralized air conditioning power supply; the car body is typically painted green with yellow stripes. Before the widespread adoption of air-conditioned coaches and the speed-up of China's railways, "green trains" were the standard appearance of passenger trains in China. Development history of green trains: Since the 1990s, with the advent of air-conditioned coaches and the speed-up of China's railways, railway authorities have continuously increased efforts to phase out and upgrade "green trains"; with each major speed-up of China's railways, there has been an update and upgrade of railway passenger cars, leading to the gradual replacement of "green trains" by more advanced air-conditioned coaches with higher construction speeds.
I've taken many trains starting with K, which are classified as ordinary express trains, but green-painted trains can't be generalized. The old green-painted trains without air conditioning left a deep impression—riding one in summer could leave your clothes soaked through. Today's K-series trains are different, with carriages mostly being red or blue air-conditioned coaches, offering much more comfortable seating. However, if you purchase the cheapest hard seat tickets, the seating arrangement does resemble that of the old green-painted trains. On the 12306 ticketing platform, you can see the air conditioning indicator. K-trains with air conditioning blast plenty of warm air in winter, a far cry from the experience of traveling in green-painted trains wrapped in a heavy coat back in the day.
