China Unveils Ambitious High-Speed Rail Expansion Plans
During a railway conference in Beijing, China outlined its plans for a massive expansion of high-speed rail across the country.
China’s high-sped rail expansion plans
The announcement was made during the UIC (International Union of Railways) conference on high-speed rail in Beijing, the capital of China.
Xiude Song, president of China Railway (CR), told delegates at the conference that China is on track to reach a total high-speed rail network length of 50,000 kilometres (31,000 miles) by the end of 2025.
According to International Railway Journal, Mr Song revealed that China plans to both expand its high-speed network further and increase its maximum speed.
As part of the plans, China aims to have a high-speed railway network exceeding 70,000 kilometres (43,500 miles) by 2035.
Mr Song also stated that China Railway intends to increase the maximum speed from 350 kilometres per hour (217 mph) today to 400 kilometres per hour (249 mph) within the next decade.
A Chinese high-speed train. ©AndyBTravels
High-speed rail coverage
Currently, China’s high-speed railway network already serves 97% of all cities with a population greater than 500,000, of which there are well over 100.
China has planned eight major north-south and east-west rail corridors, four of which are already fully completed.
In total, China Railway operates over 10,000 high-speed trains, carrying 16 million passengers daily.
Trains at Harbin station. ©AndyBTravels
Chinese rail adventure
I’m currently in China to travel on sections of the Chinese high-speed and conventional mainline railway networks.
I haven’t been back to China since the pandemic, so I’m curious to see what has changed in the meantime and to observe all the progress made in recent years.
Follow the AndyBTravels Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook accounts if you want to get some impressions of what it’s like to travel by train through China.
I’ve also recently launched a Substack, where I’ll be sharing more in-depth accounts and opinions about my Chinese rail adventure in the near future, so make sure you subscribe!
