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Rail transport is an important mode of long-distance transportation in China. As of 2021, the country had more than 150,000 km (93,206 mi) of railways, the second longest network in the world. By the end of 2021, China had more than 40,000 kilometres (24,855 miles) of high-speed rail (HSR), the longest HSR network in the world.

Almost all rail operations are handled by the China State Railway Group Company, Limited, a state-owned company created in March 2013 (as China Railway Corporation) after the dissolution of the Ministry of Railways. It was converted into a joint-stock company and placed under the control of the Ministry of Finance in June 2019.

China's railways are the busiest in the world. In 2019, railways in China delivered 3.660 billion passenger trips, generating 1,470.66 billion passenger-kilometres and carried 4.389 billion tonnes of freight, generating 3,018 billion cargo tonne-kilometres. Freight traffic turnover has increased more than fivefold over the period 1980-2013 and passenger traffic turnover has increased more than sevenfold over the same period. During the five years 2016-2020, China's railway network handled 14.9 billion passenger trips, 9 billion of which were completed by bullet trains, the remaining 5.9 billion by conventional rail. The three figures surged 41 percent (from 10.6 to 14.9 billion), 152 percent (from 3.6 to 9 billion) and decreased 16 percent (from 7 to 5.9 billion) from those during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, respectively.

Driven by need to increase freight capacity, the railway network has expanded with the country budgeting $130.4 billion for railway investment in 2014, and has a long-term plan to expand the network to 274,000 km (170,000 mi) by 2050. China built 9,000 km of new railway in 2015.

History of Rail Transport in China

Rail Transport in China Qing Dynasty (1876-1911)

The first recorded railway track to be laid in China was a 600-metre long miniature gauge demonstration line that a British merchant assembled outside the Xuanwumen city gate at Beijing in 1865 to demonstrate rail technology. The Qing government was uninterested and had the line dismantled. The first railroad to enter commercial service was the Woosung railway, a 9 ¼ mi (14 km) railway from Shanghai to Woosung (modern Shanghai's Baoshan District) which opened in 1876. This was also built by the British, without approval from the Qing government, which had the line dismantled one year later. Until the defeat of China in the First Sino-Japanese War, the government remained hostile toward railway construction. Beginning in 1895, the government began to grant rail concessions to foreigners, and permitted direct connection to the capital Beijing.

During the Republic of China era from 1912 until 1949, the development of the railway network in China slowed due to repeated civil wars and the invasion of Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. One of the few exceptions was in Northeastern China (Manchuria). The Russians opened the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1901, after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), the Japanese gained control of the portion of the Chinese Eastern Railway south of Changchun, using it to create the South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR) in 1906, this company was often referred to as "Japan's East India Company in China" due to its extensive influence in the political and economic situation of Manchuria. During the reign of the Fengtian warlords from 1912 till 1931, numerous privately owned railway companies were formed. Some of the railway investment in the late 1930s was financed by the China Development Finance Corporation associated with businessman and statesman T. V. Soong.

After the Japanese staged the Mukden Incident on 18 September 1931 as a pretext for invading Manchuria and the subsequent establishment of a puppet state called "Manchukuo", private railways were nationalised and merged to form the Manchukuo National Railway (MNR). In 1935, the Japanese bought the northern portion of the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Soviet Union and merged it into the MNR. In addition to the MNR and SMR, several other railway companies were established in the Japanese-occupied parts of China, including the North China Transportation Company, the Central China Railway, and the East Manchuria Railway. In 1945, just after the Second Sino-Japanese War, there were 27,000 km (17,000 mi) of rail, of which nearly half - 13,000 km (8,100 mi) - was located in Manchuria.

Rail Transport in China People's Republic of China (1949+)

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the new government under Mao Zedong invested heavily in the railway network. From the 1950s to the 70s, lines, especially those in western China, were expanded. One example is the 1900 km railway from Lanzhou to Ürümqi, which was built between 1952 and 1962. In Southwestern China, where difficult terrain prevails, several mountain railways were constructed, such as the Baoji-Chengdu railway, built in the 1950s, and the Chengkun railway, built in the 1970s. The railway to Tibet, one of the highest in the world, was finally completed and opened to the public in 2006. Today, every province-level entity of China, with the exception of Macau, is connected to the railway network.

Not only has the Chinese railway network expanded in size since 1949, but it has also seen great technological advances. Before the 1980s, most of the railways were powered by steam. China's first diesel locomotive, the Dongfeng, was introduced in 1958 and their first production model diesel, the DF4, was introduced in 1969. However, the early dieselization efforts were slowed by problems with the early DF4s and steam locomotive production continued into the late 1980s. During the 1980s and 90s, diesel and electric locomotives replaced the steam engines on main lines. However, steam locomotives didn't retire from some provincial railways until the 21st century. In December 2005, the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey on the Jitong railway, marking the end of the steam era. Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used in the industrial railways in China.

From 1990 to 2001, on average some 1,092 km of new railways, 837 km of multiple-track, and 962 km of electrified railways were opened to traffic annually, 2.4-fold, 1.7-fold and 1.8-fold increases respectively over the previous 10 years. At the end of 2004, railways in operation reached 74,200 km, including 24,100 km of multiple track and 18,900 km of electrified railways.

Since 1997, train speed has been raised significantly six times. The top speed of express trains increased from 120 km to 200 km per hour, and passenger trains can reach maximum speed of 350 km per hour on some sections of the arterial railways.

In March 2013, the Ministry of Railways was dissolved and its safety and regulation duties were taken up by the Ministry of Transport, inspection duties by the State Railway Administration and construction and management by the China Railway Corporation (CR).

In 2020, China Railway announced plans to expand the railway network by 33% or about 95,000 kilometres (59,000 mi), aiming to connect all cities with a population of over 200,000 by rail, and all with a population of over 500,000 by high-speed rail before 2035. As of July 2020, 95% of cities over 1 million is already connected by high-speed rail.

Rail Transport in China Railway Administration

Railways in China are defined into three main legal categories: national railways, local railways and designated railways. National railways are managed by the State Council of the national government and account for the bulk of railways in China. Local railways, which are operated by provincial or municipal governments, totaled a mere 40,000 km in 2013, less than 4% of the national total. Designated railways are operated by enterprises such as mines and steel mills. Since the 1980s, the national and local governments have jointly funded railway construction, sometimes using private capital. Joint stock railways constituted about 32% of the national network in 2013. The Luoding Railway in Guangdong province, built as a joint-stock railway with investments from the local and national governments in 2001, was gradually privatized and is one of the few privately owned passenger railways.

For over fifty years, except for a brief interlude during the Cultural Revolution, all national railways were operated and regulated by the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China. In March 2013, the State Council broke up the Railway Ministry into the National Railway Administration to oversee railway regulation and the China Railway Corporation, a state-owned company, to operate the national railways. The National Railway Administration is a sub-ministerial bureau assigned to the Ministry of Transport. The China Railway Corporation is a ministerial-level state company under the State Council. The last railway minister, Sheng Guangzu, became the general manager of the China Railway Corp. He outranks Lu Dongfu, the chief of the National Administration of Railways, who had previously been a deputy railway minister.

Rail Transport in China Railway Bureaus and Management

The China Railway Corporation assumed most of the assets of the Ministry of Railways and continues to manage the railways at three levels-the national level, the bureau or subsidiary company level, and the station level. Below are the 18 rail bureaus of the China Rail Corporation and the number of passenger stations each bureau managed in 2013. The National Railway Administration has seven oversight bureaus, based in Shenyang, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xian and Lanzhou, to oversee these China Railway bureaus.

Beijing Railway Bureau (138)
Chengdu Railway Bureau (105)
Guangzhou Railway Group (97)
Harbin Railway Bureau (280)
Hohhot Railway Bureau (52)
Jinan Railway Bureau (280)

Kunming Railway Bureau (40)
Lanzhou Railway Bureau (54)
Nanchang Railway Bureau (84)
Nanning Railway Bureau (107)
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Group (8)
Shanghai Railway Bureau (138)
Shenyang Railway Bureau (408)

Taiyuan Railway Bureau (82)
Ürümqi Railway Bureau (22)
Wuhan Railway Bureau (66)
Xi'an Railway Bureau (94)
Zhengzhou Railway Bureau (62)

In 2013, railway transport generated ¥605 billion in revenues, an increase of 14.1% from the year before.

To meet growing demand for rail service, the state is making large investments in rolling stock and infrastructure. In 2013, investments in rail totaled ¥808.8 billion, of which ¥662.3 billion on rail infrastructure, and ¥146.5 billion on rolling stock.

Rail Transport in China Employment

The railways employed 2,184,400 workers in 2013, an increase of 139,000 from the year before. Worker output averaged Y482,600 per person.

Rail Transport in China Energy Use

In 2014, the railways consumed 16.526 million tonnes of coal equivalent of energy, a decrease of 4.6% or 801,000 tonnes from 2013. It took 4.51 tonnes of coal equivalent to transport one million tonne-km of freight.

Rail Transport in China Track Network

As of 2019, the length of railways in China totaled 139,000 km (86,371 mi), including 59% double tracked (83,000 km) and 71.9% electrified (100,000 km), and 35,000 kilometres (21,748 miles) of high-speed rail (HSR) network. Railway electrification is made with the AC 27.5kV 50 Hz system.

China had the second longest railway network in the world and the longest high-speed rail network, while all provinces and regions are connected by national rail except Macau, or high-speed rail except Tibet and Macau.

In 2011, the network length was about 91,000 kilometres (56,545 miles), including 41.1% double tracked (37,000 km) and 46.6% electrified (42,000 km). As of 2014 50.8% of the railroad was double-tracked (57,000 kilometres (35,418 miles)) and 58.3% was electrified (65,000 kilometres (40,389 miles)). The railway network's density was 116.48 km per 10,000 km2.

China Rail Track Length

Year	km	±%
1949	21,800	-
1955	25,600	+17.4%
1960	33,900	+32.4%
1965	36,400	+7.4%
1970	41,000	+12.6%
1975	46,000	+12.2%
1980	53,300	+15.9%
1985	55,000	+3.2%
1990	57,800	+5.1%
1995	62,400	+8.0%
2000	68,700	+10.1%
2005	75,400	+9.8%
2010	90,504	+20.0%
2011	93,300	+3.1%
2012	97,600	+4.6%
2013	103,000	+5.5%
2014	112,000	+8.7%
2015	121,000	+8.0%
2016	124,000	+2.5%
2017	127,000	+2.4%
2018	131,000	+3.1%
2019	139,000	+6.1%
2020	146,000	+5.0%
2021	150,000	+2.7%
2025	170,000	+13.3%
2035	200,000	+17.6%

Source: 2018 Rail Statistics Public Report

High Speed Rail Track Length

Year	km	±%
2008	2,740	-
2009	3,676	+34.2%
2010	5,149	+40.1%
2011	8,358	+62.3%
2012	9,356	+11.9%
2013	11,028	+17.9%
2014	16,726	+51.7%
2015	19,210	+14.9%
2016	22,000	+14.5%
2017	23,000	+4.5%
2018	29,000	+26.1%
2019	32,200	+11.0%
2020	37,900	+17.7%
2021	40,000	+5.5%
2025	50,000	+25.0%
2035	70,000	+40.0%

Rail Transport in China Track Gauge

China Rail Transport Standard Gauge:: 79,685 kilometres (49,514 mi) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1/2 in) gauge (2008)
China Rail Transport Metre Gauge:: 466 kilometres (290 mi) 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3/8 in) (Kunming-Hai Phong railway)
China Rail Transport Narrow Gauge:: 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) 750 mm (2 ft 5+1/2 in) gauge local industrial lines (1998 est.)

Rail Transport in China Mainlines

Sixteen major rail corridors consisting of eight running north-south, called verticals, eight running east-west, called horizontals, connect 81 major cities. The 16 mainlines were designated in January 2001, when some 3,980 kilometres (2,470 mi) of the lines were still unbuilt. At that time, the existing mainlines accounted 43% of the railroads in the country but carried 80% of the passengers. The last of the vertical mainlines was completed in 2009 and the last horizontal line opened in 2010.

Eight Verticals

Eight Horizontals

Rail Transport in China High-Speed Lines

In the past decade, China has been building an extensive high-speed rail grid that is overlaid onto the existing railway network.
This grid is composed of eight high-speed rail corridors, four verticals and four horizontals with a total length of 12,000 km.
Most of the new lines follow the routes of existing trunk lines and are designated for passenger travel only.
Several sections of the national grid, especially along the southeast coastal corridor, were built to link cities that had no previous rail connections.
Those sections will carry a mix of passenger and freight. High-speed trains on passenger dedicated lines can generally reach 300-350 km/h (190-220 mph).
On mixed-use HSR lines, passenger train service can attain peak speeds of 200-250 km/h (120-160 mph).
This ambitious national grid project was planned to be built by 2020, but the government's stimulus has expedited time-tables considerably for many of the lines.

Completed Lines and Partially Completed Lines.

Vertical HSR Corridors

Beijing&-Harbin High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi)

Beijing&-Harbin High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Beijing-Harbin (Jingha HSR)	HSR Corridor of Northeast China	350	1700	2007-08-23	2021-01-22
Beijing-Shenyang (Jingshen High-Speed Railway)	HSR from Beijing to Shenyang via Chengde, Fuxin and Chaoyang	350	684	2014-02-28	2021-01-22
Harbin-Dalian (Hada HSR)	HSR from Harbin to Dalian via Shenyang & Changchun	350	904	2007-08-23	2012-12-01
Panjin-Yingkou (Panying HSR)	Connects Yingkou on Harbin-Dalian HSR with Panjin on Qinhuangdao-Shenyang HSR	350	89	2009-05-31	2013-09-12

Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,433 kilometres (890 mi)

Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,433 kilometres (890 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Beijing-Shanghai (Jinghu HSR)	HSR Corridor of East China	350	1433	2008-01-08	2012-10-16
Beijing-Shanghai (Jinghu HSR)	HSR from Beijing to Shanghai via Tianjin, Jinan, Xuzhou, Bengbu and Nanjing	350	1302	2008-04-18	2011-06-30
Hefei-Bengbu (Hebeng HSR)	Spur off Jinghu HSR from Bengbu to Hefei	350	131	2008-01-08	2012-10-16

Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway - 200-350 km/h - 2,229 kilometres (1,385 mi)

Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway - 200-350 km/h - 2,229 kilometres (1,385 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong (Jingguangshengang HSR)	HSR Corridor connecting North with South Central China	200-350	2229	2005-09-01	2018-09-23
Beijing-Shijiazhuang (Jingshi HSR)	HSR from Beijing to Shijiazhuang	350	281	2008-10-08	2012-12-26
Shijiazhuang-Wuhan (Shiwu HSR)	HSR from Shijiazhuang to Zhengzhou	350	838	2008-10-15	2012-12-26
Shijiazhuang-Wuhan (Shiwu HSR)	HSR from Zhengzhou to Wuhan	350	838	2008-10-15	2012-09-28
Wuhan-Guangzhou (Wuguang HSR)	HSR from Wuhan to Guangzhou via Changsha	350	968	2005-09-01	2009-12-26 2010-01-30
Guangzhou-Shenzhen (Guangshengang XRL)	Mainland section of the Express Rail Link from Guangzhou to the border of Hong Kong via Shenzhen	350	116	2008-08-20	2011-12-26 2014

Across the border China-Hong Kong border within Hong Kong, with the tracks and the infrastructure under Hong Kong's jurisdiction, owned by Hong Kong's KCR Corporation and operated by the MTR Corporation Limited:

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Shenzhen-Hong Kong (Guangshengang XRL)	Hong Kong section of the Express Rail Link. HSR from the border of Shenzhen to Hong Kong	200	26	2010	2018-09-23

Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway - 250-350 km/h - 1,495 kilometres (929 mi)

Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway - 250-350 km/h - 1,495 kilometres (929 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen (Hangfushen HSR)	HSR Corridor from Hangzhou to Shenzhen, with plans for a rail bridge across the Hangzhou Bay by 2020.	250- 350	1450	2005-08-01	2013-12-28
Hangzhou-Ningbo (Hangyong PDL)	HSR from Hangzhou to Ningbo	350	152	2009-04	2013-07-01
Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou (Yongtaiwen PDL)	Mixed passenger & freightHSR line along the coast of Zhejiang Province from Ningbo to Wenzhou via Taizhou	250	268	2005-10-27	2009-09-28
Wenzhou-Fuzhou (Wenfu PDL)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR line from Wenzhou to Fuzhou.	250	298	2005-01-08	2009-09-28
Fuzhou-Xiamen (Fuxia PDL)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Fujian Province from Fuzhou to Xiamen via Putian & Quanzhou.	250	275	2005-10-01	2010-04-26
Xiamen-Shenzhen (Xiashen PDL)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Fujian and Guangdong from Xiamen to Shenzhen via Zhangzhou, Shantou & Huizhou.	250	502	2007-11-23	2013-12-28

Horizontal HSR Corridors

Qingdao-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway - 250 km/h - 873 kilometres (542 mi)

Qingdao-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway - 250 km/h - 873 kilometres (542 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Qingdao-Taiyuan (Qingtai HSR)	HSR Corridor across North China consisting of three segments connecting Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Jinan and Qingdao.	250	873	2005-06-01	2018-12-26
Jiao'ao (Qingdao)-Jinan (Jiaoji HSR)	HSR connecting Qingdao and Jinan	250	364	2007-01-28	2018-12-26
Jinan-Shijiazhuang (Shijiazhuang-Jinan High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Shijiazhuang & Jinan via Dezhou	250	319	expected 2013	2017-12-28
Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan (Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Shijiazhuang & Taiyuan.	250	190	2005-06-11	2009-04-01

Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,363 kilometres (847 mi)

Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,363 kilometres (847 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Xuzhou-Lanzhou (Xulan High-Speed Railway)	HSR Corridor across the Yellow River Valley of central China, consisting of four segments connecting Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xian, Baoji and Lanzhou.	350	1363	2005-06-01	2021-02-08
Xuzhou-Zhengzhou (Zhengzhou-Xuzhou High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Xuzhou & Zhengzhou	350	357	2012-12-26	2016-09-10
Zhengzhou-Xi'an (Zhengzhou-Xi'an High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Zhengzhou & Xian	350	455	2005-09-01	2010-02-06
Xi'an-Baoji (Xi'an-Baoji High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Xi'an & Baoji	350	148	2009-11-22	2013-12-28
Baoji-Lanzhou (Baoji-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Baoji & Lanzhou	350	403	2012-10	2017-07-09

Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-Speed Railway - 250-350 km/h - 2,078 kilometres (1,291 mi)

Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-Speed Railway - 250-350 km/h - 2,078 kilometres (1,291 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu (Huhanrong PDL)	HSR Corridor through the Yangtze Valley, consisting of an intercity railway line, and 7 mixed-use HSR segments connecting Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan, Yichang, Lichuan, Chongqing, Suining & Chengdu.	200- 350	2078	2003-12-01	2013-12-28
Shanghai-Nanjing	HSR connecting Shanghai and Nanjing	350	301	2008-07-01	2010-07-01
Nanjing-Hefei (Hening PDL)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Nanjing & Hefei	250	166	2005-06-11	2008-04-19
Hefei-Wuhan (Hewu PDL)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Hefei & Wuhan	250	351	2005-08-01	2009-04-01
Hankou (Wuhan)-Yichang (Hanyi R.R.)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Wuhan & Yichang	200	293	2008-09-17	2012-07-01
Yichang-Wanzhou (Yichang-Lichuan section of Yiwan R.R.)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Yichang & Lichuan	200	377	2003-12-01	2010-12-23
Lichuan-Chongqing (Yuli R.R.)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Lichuan & Chongqing	200	264	2008-12-29	2013-12-28
Chongqing-Suining (Suiyu R.R.)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Chongqing & Suining	200	132	2009-01-18	2012-12-31
Dazhou-Chengdu (Suining-Chengdu section of Dacheng R.R.)	Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Suining & Chengdu.	200	148	2005-05	2009-06-30

Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 2,066 kilometres (1,284 mi)

Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 2,066 kilometres (1,284 mi)

Line	Route Description	Designed Speed (km/h)	Length (km)	Construction Start Date	Open Date
Shanghai-Kunming (Hukun HSR)	HSR Corridor connecting East, Central and Southwest China. It consists of three sections connecting Shanghai, Hangzhou, Changsha and Kunming.	350	2066	2008-12-28	2016-12-28
Shanghai-Hangzhou (Shanghai-Hangzhou High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Shanghai & Hangzhou.	350	150	2009-02-26	2010-10-26
Hangzhou-Changsha (Hangzhou-Changsha High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Hangzhou & Changsha.	350	926	2009-12-22	2014-12-10
Changsha-Kunming (Changsha-Kunming High-Speed Railway)	HSR connecting Changsha & Kunming	350	1175	2010-03-26	2016-12-28

China Stations - Rail Transport in China Stations

Railway stations in China are classified into six classes: special, first, second, third, fourth and fifth. A special class station can handle at least 60,000 passengers and 20,000 pieces of baggage, load at least 750 freight carriages or assign at least 6,500 carriages per day. A first class station can handle at least 15,000 passengers and 1,500 pieces of baggage, load 350 carriages or assign 3,000 carriages per day. A second class station can handle at least 5,000 passengers and 500 pieces of baggage, load 200 carriages or assign 1,500 carriages per day. In 2008, there were 5,470 train stations, including 50 special class stations, 236 first-class stations, 362 second-class stations and 936 third-class stations.

China Bridges - Rail Transport in China Bridges

The rail network across China's diverse topography makes extensive use of bridges and tunnels. In recent years, advances in bridge-building and tunneling techniques have enabled Chinese railroad builders to reduce overall track length and increase train speeds on rail lines through rugged terrain. The Yichang-Wanzhou railway, built from 2003 to 2010 across the karst landscape between Wuhan and Chongqing, has 159 tunnels and 253 bridges, which account for 74% of the railway's total length. High-speed rail lines are often built on elevated tracks to reduce the need to acquire land and involve very long bridges. The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has three of the longest railroad bridges in the world with lengths of 164.8 kilometres (102.4 miles), 113.7 kilometres (70.6 miles) and 48.15 kilometres (29.92 miles). The Beipan River Shuibai Railway Bridge built in 2003 in Guizhou Province is the world's highest railway bridge. Its bridge deck is 275 metres (902 feet) above the Beipan River in a deep gorge.

As of 2008, there were 47,524 railway bridges in use in Mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan), including 872 major bridges over 500 metres (1,600 feet) in length.

China Tunnels - Rail Transport in China Tunnels

As of 2008, there were 6,102 railway tunnels in use in Mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan), including 183 over 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) and seven over 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in length. The first railroad tunnel was built in 1888 by the Qing Dynasty in Taiwan. The Shi-chiu-lin Tunnel near Keelung, 261 metres (856 feet) long, is now a historical landmark. The oldest rail tunnel on the mainland is the 3,077.2 metres (10,096 feet) Greater Khingan Rail Ridge built in 1904 on the Chinese Eastern Railway in modern-day Inner Mongolia. The longest tunnel in China is the 27,848 metres (91,365 feet) Taihangshan Tunnel on the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan high-speed railway in northern China. Several longer tunnels are under construction.

China Train Ferries - Rail Transport in China Train Ferries

The most notable train ferries in China are the Guangdong-Hainan Ferry, across the Qiongzhou Strait between the Leizhou Peninsula on the south coast of Guangdong and the island of Hainan, and the Bohai Train Ferry, connecting the Liaodong and Shandong Peninsulas across the Bohai Bay. These two ferries began operating, respectively, in 2003 and 2007.

A river ferry carries trains on the Xinyi-Changxing railway across the Yangtze River at Jingjiang, halfway between Nanjing and Shanghai. In the first half of the 20th century, all trains traversing the Yangtze River required ferries. Since the completion of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in 1953, at least fifteen railway bridges and two subway tunnels now span the Yangtze.

High-Speed Rail in China

High-speed rail in China refers to any train service (generally passenger only) with average train speeds above 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). High-speed service on China Railway High-speed (CRH) train sets was officially introduced in 2007. These trains run on upgraded conventional lines as well as passenger dedicated high-speed track that can permit speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph).

In the decade prior to the introduction of high-speed rail, the travel speed of conventional trains was raised on most of the mainlines. By 2007, the top speed for passenger trains reached 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) on main lines such as the Jinghu railway, Jingha railway, and Jingguang railway. Heavy-haul freight railway transportation speed limit was also boosted to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph). This speed enhancement was expected to boost passenger and cargo capacity by 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Some of the newly built high-speed passenger dedicated lines such as the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway and Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway had top speeds of 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph). Top train speeds were lowered to 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) in 2011.

Prior to the adoption of conventional tracks for high-speed rail, planning authorities also experimented with maglev technology. The Shanghai maglev train built in 2004 remains the fastest train in the country with peak speeds of 431 kilometres per hour (268 mph). The train makes the 30.5 kilometres (19.0 mi) trip from the Pudong Airport to the city in less than 7.5 minutes.

China Passenger Transport - Rail Transport in China Passenger Transport

Rail is one of the principal means of passenger transport in China. In 2014, railways delivered 2.357 billion passenger trips and generated 1,160.48 billion passenger-km, compared to 1.456 billion trips and 772.8 billion passenger-km in 2008. The sharp increase in the number of train trips taken is driven by the rapid growth of high-speed rail service.

Average trip distance declined slightly from 530 km to 503 km, which shows that train travel is primarily used for long-distance trips. This contrasts greatly with countries such as Germany, where the average rail trip is only about 40 km long. The difference may be explained by the near-absence of traditional commuter rail systems (low cost, frequent service, frequent stops) in China, the incipient Beijing Suburban Railway may perhaps be their only specimen in the country. However, a number of high-speed intercity railways have been opened since 2005, and many more are under construction, they may attract an increasing share of short-distance trips.

China's Operational Statistics Detail

Major Operators: China State Railway Group Company, Limited
Ridership: 3.660 billion passenger trips
Passenger km: 1,470.66 billion passenger-kilometres
Freight: 4.389 billion tonnes

China System Length

Total: 146,000 km (91,000 mi)[a]
Double Track: 83,000 km (52,000 mi)
Electrified: 100,000 km (62,000 mi)
High-Speed: 35,000 km (22,000 mi)

China Track Gauge

China Rail Transport Main Track: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1/2 in)
China Rail Transport High-Speed Track: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1/2 in)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1/2 in) standard gauge 79,685 kilometres (49,514 mi) (1998)
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3/8 in) metre gauge 466 kilometres (290 mi)
750 mm (2 ft 5+1/2 in) 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) (1998 est.)

China's Track Features

China Rail Transport Number of Tunnels: 16,084 (2019)
China Rail Transport Tunnel Length: 18,041 kilometres (11,210 mi) (2019)
China Rail Transport Longest Tunnel: Songshanhu Tunnel
38.813 kilometres (24.117 mi)
China Rail Transport Number of Bridges: 47,524 (2008)
China Rail Transport Longest Bridge: Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge
164.8 kilometres (102.4 mi)
China Rail Transport Number of Train Stations: 5,470 (2008)
China Rail Transport Highest Elevation: 5,072 metres (16,640 ft) at Tanggula Pass

Notes
[a] ^ There is a significant discrepancy in the total length of China's railways reported by China Statistical Yearbook (120,970 km (75,170 mi) at year end 2015) and the CIA Factbook (191,270 km (118,850 mi) in 2014). The CIA Factbook figure is based on "the total length of the railway network and of its component parts." The Statistical Yearbook figure includes "the total length of the trunk line for passenger and freight transportation in full operation or temporary operation" and measures the actual route distance between the midpoints of railway stations. Any double-tracked route or route with a return track of shorter distance is counted using the length of the original route. The length of any return tracks, other tracks within stations, maintenance and service tracks (such as those used to turn trains around), tracks of fork lines, special purpose lines and non-revenue connecting lines are excluded. The Statistical Yearbook provides cross-year and cross-regional breakdowns of railway length and its figures are presented in China railway articles.

Rail Transport in China Rail Transport in China	China Track Network - China Train Track Length China Track Network China Train Track Length	China Mainline Corridors - Sixteen Major Rail Corridors China Mainline Corridors Sixteen Major Rail Corridors	China Train Stations - Rail Transport in China Train Stations China Train Stations Rail Transport in China Train Stations


Classes of Service - Rail Transport in China Classes of Service Classes of Service - Rail Transport in China Classes of Service	Rail Transport in China International Links Rail Transport in China International Links	At the beginning of the 21st century China had no high-speed railways At the beginning of the 21st century China had no high-speed railways	China High-Speed Railway ''Eight Vertical Lines and Eight Horizontal Lines'' China High-Speed Railway "Eight Vertical Lines and Eight Horizontal Lines"


China Coastal Corridor 沿海通道 China High-Speed Vertical Line China Coastal Corridor 沿海通道 China High-Speed Vertical Line	China Beijing–Shanghai Corridor 沿海通道 China High-Speed Vertical Line China Beijing–Shanghai Corridor 沿海通道 China High-Speed Vertical Line	Beijing–Hong Kong (Taipei) Corridor (京港（台）通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Beijing–Hong Kong (Taipei) Corridor (京港（台）通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line	Beijing–Harbin, Beijing–Hong Kong (Macau) Corridor (京哈～京港澳通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Beijing–Harbin, Beijing–Hong Kong (Macau) Corridor (京哈～京港澳通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line


Hohhot–Nanning Corridor (呼南通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Hohhot–Nanning Corridor (呼南通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line	Beijing–Kunming Corridor (京昆通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Beijing–Kunming Corridor (京昆通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line	Baotou (Yinchuan)–Hainan Corridor (包（银）海通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Baotou (Yinchuan)–Hainan Corridor (包（银）海通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line	Lanzhou (Xining)–Guangzhou Corridor (兰（西）广通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line Lanzhou (Xining)–Guangzhou Corridor (兰（西）广通道) China High-Speed Vertical Line


Suifenhe–Manzhouli Corridor (绥满通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Suifenhe–Manzhouli Corridor (绥满通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Beijing–Lanzhou Corridor (京兰通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Beijing–Lanzhou Corridor (京兰通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Qingdao–Yinchuan Corridor (青银通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Qingdao–Yinchuan Corridor (青银通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Eurasia Continental Bridge Corridor (陆桥通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Eurasia Continental Bridge Corridor (陆桥通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line


Yangtze River Corridor (沿江通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Yangtze River Corridor (沿江通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Shanghai–Kunming Corridor (沪昆通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Shanghai–Kunming Corridor (沪昆通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Xiamen–Chongqing Corridor (厦渝通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Xiamen–Chongqing Corridor (厦渝通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line	Guangzhou–Kunming Corridor (广昆通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line Guangzhou–Kunming Corridor (广昆通道) China High-Speed Horizontal Line


Chinese Eastern Railway Chinese Eastern Railway or CER	North Manchuria Railways North Manchuria Railway - Trans-Manchurian Route	Qinghai Tibet Railway The Qinghai Tibet Railway or Qingzang Railway	Rail Transport Mongolia Rail Transport in Mongolia


Trans-Mongolian Railways Trans-Mongolian Railway	Trans Siberian Express - Russia-China Trans-Siberian Railway - Russia	Trans-Siberian Railways Trans Siberian Railway - Trans Siberian Express	Circum-Baikal Railways Circum-Baikal Railway


Trans-Baikal Railways Trans-Baikal Railway	Chinese Super League - Football - Soccer	Winter Olympic Games 2022 Timetable Beijing Winter Olympic Games 2022 Timetable Beijing Winter Olympics 2022	Beijing Winter Paralympics 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics 2022 Timetable Winter Olympic Games 2022


MTR Corporation - A MTR Corporation - A	MTR Corporation - B MTR Corporation - B	MTR Corporation - C MTR Corporation - C	Rail Transport in China - China has 16 Mainlines Rail Transport in China - China has 16 Mainlines


List of Railway Lines in China List of Railway Lines in China	North-South Direction Railway Lines of China North-South Direction Railway Lines of China	Beijing-Harbin Corridor Railway Lines of China Beijing-Harbin Corridor Railway Lines of China	East Coast Railway Lines of China East Coast Railway Lines of China


Beijing-Shanghai Corridor Railway Lines of China Beijing-Shanghai Corridor Railway Lines of China	Beijing-Kowloon Corridor Railway Lines of China Beijing-Kowloon Corridor Railway Lines of China	Beijing-Guangzhou Corridor Railway Lines of China Beijing-Guangzhou Corridor Railway Lines of China	Datong-Zhanjiang Corridor Railway Lines of China Datong-Zhanjiang Corridor Railway Lines of China


Baotou-Liuzhou Corridor Railway Lines of China Baotou-Liuzhou Corridor Railway Lines of China	Baoji-Kunming Corridor Railway Lines of China Baoji-Kunming Corridor Railway Lines of China	East-West Direction Railway Lines of China East-West Direction Railway Lines of China	Beijing-Lhasa Z21 / Lhasa-Beijing Z22 Railway Lines of China Beijing-Lhasa Z21 / Lhasa-Beijing Z22 Railway Lines of China


Eurasian Land Bridge Railway Lines of China Eurasian Land Bridge Railway Lines of China	Yangtze River Valley Railway Lines of China Yangtze River Valley Railway Lines of China	Shanghai-Kunming Railway Lines (Hukun Line) of China Shanghai-Kunming Railway Lines (Hukun Line) of China	South Coast Railway Lines of China South Coast Railway Lines of China


China Inter-Regional Railways and their Train Lines China Inter-Regional Railways and their Train Lines	China Regional Railways and their Train Lines China Regional Railways and their Train Lines	North Railway Lines of China North Railway Lines of China	Northeast Railway Lines of China Northeast Railway Lines of China


Northwest Railway Lines in China Northwest Railway Lines in China	East and Southeast Railway Lines Of China East and Southeast Railway Lines Of China	South Central Railway Lines of China South Central Railway Lines of China	Southwest Railway Lines of China Southwest Railway Lines of China


Northwest Railway Lines of China List of Railway Lines in China	China Coal Transport Railways and their Railway Lines China Coal Transport Railways and their Railway Lines	China Intra-City Metros and their Railway Lines China Intra-City Metros and their Railway Lines	Former China Railways and their Railway Lines Former China Railways and their Railway Lines


International Railways Out of China and their Railway Lines International Railways Out of China and their Railway Lines	List of China High Speed Train Lines List of High-Speed Railway Lines in China	Beijing-Harbin High-Speed Railway Lines 1700 km - Vertical HSR Corridor Beijing-Harbin High-Speed Railway Lines 1700 km Vertical HSR Corridor	Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway 1433 km - Vertical HSR Corridor Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway 1433 km Vertical HSR Corridor


Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway 2229 km - Vertical HSR Corridor Beijing-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway 2229 km Vertical HSR Corridor	Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway 1495 km - Vertical HSR Corridor Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway 1495 km Vertical HSR Corridor	Qingdao-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway 873 km - Horizontal HSR Corridors Qingdao-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway 873 km Horizontal HSR Corridors	Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway 1363 km - Horizontal HSR Corridors Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway 1363 km Horizontal HSR Corridors


Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-Speed Railway 2078 km - Horizontal HSR Corridors Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-Speed Railway 2078 km Horizontal HSR Corridors	Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway 2066 km - Horizontal HSR Corridors Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway 2066 km Horizontal HSR Corridors	China Regional High-Speed Rail Lines China Regional High-Speed Rail Lines	Guangxi Coastal Regional High Speed Railway Line 261 km Guangxi Coastal Regional High Speed Railway Line 261 km


Datong–Xi'an High Speed Railway Line 859 km Datong–Xi'an High Speed Railway Line 859 km	China Regional High Speed Train Lines Under Construction & Partially Completed Train Lines China Regional High Speed Train Lines Under Construction & China Regional High Speed Train Lines Partially Completed	China Regional High Speed Rail Lines Under Construction China Regional High Speed Rail Lines Under Construction	China High Speed Intercity Railways China High Speed Intercity Railways


China Class I National Railways China Class I National Railways	China Railway Engineering Corporation China Railway Engineering Corporation (CRECG) (中国铁路工程总公司)

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