WHEN the South China Morning Post this week broke the story of China’s outlandish plan to build an 8000-kilometre fast rail linking China and Europe, few dared second-guess it.

That’s because China is already in the process of realising one of the world’s largest fast rail networks inside China itself as the world’s glamour economy rapidly transforms itself from peasantry to industrial powerhouse.

According to the thinktank thetransportpolitic.com, there are very good reasons why the plan should be taken at face value.