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Price isn't the only difference. gui jun peng/Shutterstock, Amtrak

The INSIDER Summary:

China's bullet trains are faster than Amtrak in the US.

They're also significantly cheaper.

The interiors of the trains look pretty much the same.



Train travel isn't the most popular way to get around in the US. Amtrak is the only high speed intercity passenger rail in the country, and it hasn't made a profit since its establishment. The federal government continues to subsidize its operations to the tune of $1 billion every year, and last year's ridership was around 31.3 million passengers — a new record.

China's high speed railway, on the other hand, is the most heavily used in the world, with 1.44 billion passengers every year.

Ridership isn't the only difference between these two railways — here's how they stack up.