Sink tops that cost 26,000 yuan each, 11,280 yuan for a water valve, and a single toilet paper holder that goes for 1,125 yuan. These might be standard prices for gold-plated fixtures in a luxury villa bathroom, but not for passenger railcars running on China's high-speed railroad.

Just how high are procurement costs for the nation's bullet trains? A railcar parts catalog obtained by Caixin from train manufacturer China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp. (CSR) offered some clues: The catalog lists vendor names and tax-inclusive prices paid by CSR for more than 3,000 parts, including countertops and toilet paper holders, installed on bullet trains.