Times are changing. Steam engines are being replaced by modern high speed electric trains. Southern China is packed with high-tech industry. Cheap labor is in abundance.
Transit is needed to move the workers, and the Chinese government is aware of that.
Hong Kong has perhaps the best transit system of any city in the world. Here are a few photos from that region. You can click on the thumbnails to download the larger picture. Riding the Hong Kong MTR late at night. During rush hour, people are crammed in like sardines as the system carries 2.2 million passengers daily.