Architectural style of Tianjin West Railway Station 2019[Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

I wrote in a recent feature how for centuries rivers were a vital transportation component for China, such being the vast size of this country. Rail lines started opening in the late 19th century, some simply going from coastal ports to inland cities, such as Beijing. Others served mineral-rich areas, including the coalfields of northeastern China. However, there was no real network and lines at times were not joined up. Even in my early days, the late 1980s/early 1990s, steam-hauled trains were still common.