Rail Transport in China - China has 16 Mainlines

Rail Transport in China - China has 16 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

• Beijing-Harbin Railway
• East Coast Corridor
• Beijing-Shanghai Railway
• Beijing-Kowloon Railway
• Beijing-Guangzhou Railway
• Datong-Zhanjiang Corridor (Datong-Puzhou, Taiyuan-Jiaozuo, Luoyang-Zhanjiang)
• Baotou-Liuzhou Corridor (Baotou-Shenmu, Shenmu-Yan'an, Xi'an-Yan'an, Xi'an-Ankang,
• Xiangyang-Chongqing, Sichuan-Guizhou, Guizhou-Guangxi)
• Lanzhou-Kunming Corridor (Longhai, Baoji-Chengdu, Chengdu-Kunming)

Eight Horizontals

• Beijing-Tibet (Beijing-Baotou, Baotou-Lanzhou, Lanzhou-Qinghai,
• Qinghai-Tibet)
• Northern Coal Transport Corridor
• Southern Coal Transport Corridor
• Trans-Eurasia Corridor (Longhai, Lanzhou-Xinjiang, Northern Xinjiang)
• Nanjing-Xi'an Railway
• Yangtze River Corridor (Nanjing-Tongling,
• Tongling-Jiujiang, Wuhan-Jiujiang, Changjiangbu-Jingzhou,
• Yichang-Wanzhou, Dazhou-Wanzhou)
• Shanghai-Kunming Railway
• Southwest Coastal Access Corridor (Nanning-Kunming, Hunan-Guangxi, Litang-Zhanjiang)

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)
 

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)
 

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)
 

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
	HSR from Zhengzhou to Wuhan				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)
 

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 & freight HSR 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)
 

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)
 

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)
 

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)
 

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'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.