Originally Posted by
LHR/MEL/Europe FF
...it provides employment! And it has reasonably good loads. No idea how much it actually costs to run though.
I think it is also a prestige thing for Shanghai.
I am not sure, what reasonably good loads are. If you see the crowd on the platform, I always think, not too bad. Quite a few people. But once inside the train you realize, it is some seat load around 10-20%. I always had a bench for myself.