Rail transport in China
China | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clockwise from top left: A No. stations 5,470 (2008)[4] | | ||||
Highest elevation | 5,072 metres (16,640 ft)[5] | ||||
at | Tanggula Pass | ||||
|
Part of a series on |
Rail transport |
---|
|
Infrastructure |
|
Service and rolling stock |
|
Special systems |
|
Miscellanea |
Transport portal |
Rail transport is an important mode of long-distance transportation in China. As of 2024, the country had more than 159,000 km (98,798 mi)[6][a][7] of railways, the second longest network in the world.[2][8] By the end of 2023, China had more than 45,000 kilometres (27,962 miles) of high-speed rail (HSR), the longest HSR network in the world.[9][2][8][10]
Almost all rail operations are handled by the
China's railways are
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.[13]
History
Qing dynasty (1876–1911)
The first recorded railway track to be laid in China was a 600-metre (1,969 ft)-long miniature gauge demonstration line that a British merchant assembled outside the
By 1911, there were about 9,000 km (5,592 mi) of railroads in China, mostly designed, built, owned and operated by foreign companies. This was still well behind the industrialized world, the United States had roughly 380,000 km (236,121 mi) of rail at the time.
Republic of China in mainland period (1912–1949)
During the
After the Japanese staged the
People's Republic of China (1949–)
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2017) |
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the new government under
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
Rail in China expanded greatly beginning in 1965 with the Third Front campaign to develop basic industry and national defense industry in China's rugged interior in case of invasion by the Soviet Union or the United States.[20]: 4, 222–223 The primary achievement of railroad construction during the Third Front construction was the building of ten new interprovincial lines.[20]: 203 Building the Chengdu-Kunming and the Guiyang-Kunming lines linked all southwest provincial capitals using rail for the first time.[20]: 203 The Xiangfan-Chongqing and Hunan-Guizhou connected the central and western provinces by rail for the first time.[20]: 203 The additional rail built during this period greatly decreased travel time in the country's interior.[20]: 222
From 1990 to 2001, on average some 1,092 km (679 mi) of new railways, 837 km (520 mi) of multiple-track, and 962 km (598 mi) 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 (46,106 mi), including 24,100 km (14,975 mi) of multiple track and 18,900 km (11,744 mi) of electrified railways.
Since 1997, train speed has been raised significantly six times. The top speed of express trains increased from 120 to 200 km/h (75 to 124 mph), and passenger trains can reach maximum speed of 350 km/h (220 mph) on some sections of the arterial railways.
In March 2013, the
In 2020, China Railway announced plans to expand the railway network by 33% or about 95,000 kilometres (59,030 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 have been connected by high-speed rail.[21][22]
Railway administration
Railways in China are defined into three main legal categories: national railways, local railways and designated railways.[23] National railways are managed by the State Council of the national government and account for the bulk of railways in China.[23] Local railways, which are operated by provincial or municipal governments, totaled a mere 40,000 km (24,855 mi) in 2013, less than 4% of the national total.[24] Designated railways are operated by enterprises such as mines and steel mills.[23] 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.[24] The Luoding Railway in Guangdong, 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
Railway bureaus and management
The
- 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)
Revenues and investments
In 2013, railway transport generated ¥605 billion in revenues, an increase of 14.1% from the year before.[24]
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.[1]
Employment
The railways employed 2,184,400 workers in 2013, an increase of 139,000 from the year before.[24] Worker output averaged Y482,600 per person.[24]
Energy use
In 2014, the railways consumed 16.526 million
Track network
As of 2019, the length of railways in China totaled 139,000 km (86,371 mi), including 59%
China had the
In 2011, the network length was about 91,000 kilometres (56,545 miles), including 41.1%
|
Track gauge
- Standard gauge: 79,685 kilometres (49,514 mi) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge (2008)
- Kunming–Hai Phong railway)
- Narrow gauge: 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge local industrial lines (1998 est.)
Mainlines
Sixteen major rail corridors consisting of eight running north–south, called verticals, eight running east–west, called horizontals, connect 81 major cities.[34] 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.[34] The last of the vertical mainlines was completed in 2009 and the last horizontal line opened in 2010.[35]
Eight Verticals
|
Eight Horizontals
|
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 (7,456 mi). 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 Partially completed lines.
Vertical HSR corridors
Line [corridor map] |
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[36] |
Beijing–Shenyang (Jingshen High-Speed Railway) |
HSR from Beijing to Shenyang via Chengde, Fuxin and Chaoyang | 350 | 684 | 2014-02-28[37] | 2021-01-22[36] |
Harbin–Dalian (Hada HSR) |
HSR from Harbin to Dalian via Shenyang & Changchun | 350 | 904 | 2007-08-23 | 2012-12-01[38] |
Panjin–Yingkou (Panying HSR) |
Connects Qinhuangdao-Shenyang HSR
|
350 | 89 | 2009-05-31 | 2013-09-12[39] |
Line [corridor map] |
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[40] |
Hefei–Bengbu (Hebeng HSR) |
Spur off Jinghu HSR from Bengbu to Hefei | 350 | 131 | 2008-01-08 | 2012-10-16[41] |
Line [corridor map] |
Route Description | Designed Speed (km/h) |
Length (km) |
Construction Start Date |
Open Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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[42] |
Shijiazhuang–Wuhan (Shiwu HSR) |
HSR from Shijiazhuang to Zhengzhou | 350 | 838 | 2008-10-15 | 2012-12-26[42] |
HSR from Zhengzhou to Wuhan | 2012-09-28[43] | ||||
Wuhan–Guangzhou (Wuguang HSR) |
HSR from Wuhan to Guangzhou via Changsha | 350 | 968 | 2005-09-01 | 2009-12-26 2010-01-30[44] |
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[45] 2014[46] |
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 MTR Corporation Limited :
| |||||
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[47] |
Line [corridor map] |
Route Description | Designed Speed (km/h) |
Length (km) |
Construction Start Date |
Open Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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[48] |
Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou (Yongtaiwen PDL) |
Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Zhejiang 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 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[49] |
Horizontal HSR corridors
Line [corridor map] |
Route Description | Designed Speed (km/h) |
Length (km) |
Construction Start Date |
Open Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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[50] |
2017-12-28 |
Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan (Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan High-Speed Railway) |
HSR connecting Shijiazhuang & Taiyuan. | 250 | 190 | 2005-06-11 | 2009-04-01 |
Line [corridor map] |
Route Description | Designed Speed (km/h) |
Length (km) |
Construction Start Date |
Open Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HSR Corridor across the Yellow River Valley of central China, consisting of four segments connecting Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Baoji and Lanzhou. | 350 | 1363 | 2005-06-01 | 2021-02-08[51] | |
Xuzhou–Zhengzhou (Zhengzhou–Xuzhou High-Speed Railway) |
HSR connecting Xuzhou & Zhengzhou | 350 | 357 | 2012-12-26[52] | 2016-09-10 |
Zhengzhou–Xi'an (Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway) |
HSR connecting Zhengzhou & Xi'an | 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[53] |
Baoji–Lanzhou (Baoji–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway) |
HSR connecting Baoji & Lanzhou | 350 | 403 | 2012-10[54][55][56] | 2017-07-09 |
Line [corridor map] |
Route Description | Designed Speed (km/h) |
Length (km) |
Construction Start Date |
Open Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HSR Corridor through the . | 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[57] | 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[53] |
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 |
Line [corridor map] |
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[58] |
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[59] |
Changsha–Kunming (Changsha–Kunming High-Speed Railway) |
HSR connecting Changsha & Kunming | 350 | 1175 | 2010-03-26 | 2016-12-28[58] |
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.[4]
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
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.[4]
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.[4] 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.
Train ferries
The most notable
A river ferry carries trains on the
High-speed rail
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). China has the world's longest high-speed railway.[61]: 2
In the decade prior to the introduction of high-speed rail, the travel speed of conventional trains
Prior to the adoption of conventional tracks for high-speed rail, planning authorities also experimented with
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,[1] compared to 1.456 billion trips and 772.8 billion passenger-km in 2008.[63] 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 to 503 km (329 to 313 mi), 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 (25 mi) long.[64] 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.
Classes of service
Passenger trains are identified by their class of service (usually indicated by letter prefix for faster trains) followed by three to four numerals indicating the bureau and region of operation. The syllables in bold will be used in broadcasting in train stations, for example, C1234 will be pronounced as cheng-1234.
Trains starting with G, C, D are run by CRH EMUs and form the high-/higher-speed network in China, while other trains are locomotive-hauled conventional trains.
Class | Description | |
---|---|---|
G | High Speed | Long-distance high-speed service. Maximum speed 350 km/h (220 mph). G1–G5998 for cross-bureau service; G6001–G9998 for service within one railway bureau |
Gāosù 高速 | ||
D | Electrical Multiple Unit | Long-distance service with EMU. Maximum speed 250 km/h (160 mph). D1–D3998 for cross-bureau service; D4001–D9998 for service within one railway bureau |
Dòngchē zǔ 动车组 | ||
C | Intercity | Regional Intercity service. Maximum speed 250 km/h (160 mph). C1–C1998 for cross-bureau service; C2001–C9998 for service within one railway bureau |
Chéngjì 城际 | ||
Z | Direct Express | Direct express service between two cities with few main station or no intervening stops; often overnight trains. Maximum speed 160 km/h (99 mph). |
Zhídá tèkuài 直达特快 | ||
T | Express | Long-distance service stopping only at provincial capitals, subprovincial-level and major prefecture-level cities . Maximum speed 140 km/h (87 mph). T1–T4998 for cross-bureau service; T5001–T9998 for service within one railway bureau
|
Tèkuài 特快 | ||
K | Fast | Service stopping at prefectural and higher-level cities. Maximum speed 120 km/h (75 mph). K1–K6998 for cross-bureau service; K7001–K9998 for service within one railway bureau |
Kuàisù 快速 | ||
Regular Fast Pǔ kuài 普快 |
Regular service stopping at all prefectural and higher-level cities and some county-level cities. Maximum speed 120 km/h (75 mph). 1001–1998 for service across three bureaus; 2001–3998 for service across two bureaus, and 4001–5998 for service within one railway bureau | |
Regular Pǔ kè 普客 |
Regular service stopping at all passenger stations along route. Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph). 6001–6198 for cross-bureau service. 6201–7598 for service within one railway bureau | |
L | Temporary | Additional holiday service, especially for Chinese New Year travelers, provide three classes of service of Regular Passenger Train, Regular Fast and Fast train. L1001–L6998 for service across bureaus; L7001-L5998 for service within one railway bureau |
Lín kè 临客 | ||
Y | Tourist | Summertime service to tourist destinations. Y1-Y498 for service across bureaus; Y501-998 for service within one railway bureau |
Lǚyóu 旅游 |
Regular services stopping at all stations remain mostly limited to remote areas lacking high-speed services, including many ethnic minority regions, and are heavily subsidized.[65][66][67]
Types of cars
The newer high-speed train service (Classes G, C and D) that use
- High-speed sleeper carriages (WR), with capacity for 40, have 20 enclosed compartments each with two berths. A few trains have a deluxe high-speed sleeper (WG), with capacity for 40 and eight compartments that are more spacious. High-speed sleepers are found on some D-class overnight trains.
- First class coaches (ZY), with capacity for 44–72, have partially reclining plush seats and power outlets, there are four seats in each row.
- Business class coaches (SW), with capacity for 24–56, are found on some high-speed train sets such as the CRH380BL. They have reclining sofa seats with flat screen TVs, power outlets and other amenities. Only available on G trains and some D trains.
- Second class coaches (ZE), with capacity for 83–101, have the most affordable seats on high-speed trains, there are five seats in each row.
Most high-speed trains have dining cars (CA). Some have sight-seeing cars (ZYG, ZEG, SWG) that are attached to the front or end of the train.
The following types of cars are found on traditional, non-high-speed trains:[70]
- Deluxe soft sleeper, with capacity for 20–36, have two-berth compartments with private bathroom and television. Most long-distance trains carry this carriage along with Soft sleeper carriages.
- Soft sleeper carriages (RW), with capacity for 36 (50 in double-decker cars (SRW)), have enclosed, lockable compartments with four sleeping berths. The upper berths can be folded up to allow for seating in the lower berths.
- Hard sleeper carriages (YW), with capacity for 60–66 (76–80 in double-decker cars (SYW)), have 11 open bays or semi-compartments with six sleeping berths in each. Within each bay, the sleeping berths are stacked three on each side (lower, middle and upper). The lower berths cost the most and the upper berths, the least.
- Soft seat carriages (RZ), with capacity for 72–88 (108–110 in double-decker cars (SRZ)), have plush seats and more legroom and are available only on some K, T and Y class trains.
- Hard seat carriages (YZ), with capacity for 116–128 (170–180 in double-decker cars (SYZ)), have cushioned but stiff seats and provide the most basic seating option on non-high speed trains (Classes K, T, Z, L, regular fast, regular). On crowded trains, riders with standing room tickets will stand in the aisles of hard seat cars.
Long-distance trains have dining cars (CA).
Holidays
Demand for tickets increases dramatically during the Chinese New Year and the two Golden Week holiday in early May and October, as many migrant workers and students return home and travelers go on vacation. The Golden Weeks are holidays organized May Day (1 May) and National Day (1 October). Chinese New Year also called the Spring Festival, follows the lunar calendar and is in January or February.
In 2009, the duration of the May holidays was shortened from one week to a long weekend, but holiday traffic remained strong, setting a one-day record of 6.54 million passengers carried over the Chinese rail network on 1 May 2009.[71]
The month-long period before, during and after the Chinese New Year is known as Chunyun or "spring transport" for China's railways. During this period, train service increases to meet the demand from one of the largest annual human migrations in the world. Since railway transport is the cheapest method for long-distance travelers in China, the railway is the most important transport method during the Chunyun period. For example, during the 40 days of the 2007 Chunyun period, it is estimated that 156 million passengers rode trains, which corresponds to 3.9 million passengers per day, compared to the overall average of 2.4 million per day. To make the situation even worse, traffic is highly imbalanced: before the Chinese New Year, passengers mainly travel from the large cities and after the holiday, the traffic reverses. Although hundreds of temporary trains are operated, train tickets are still in short supply. Trains are very crowded during this period, for example; a passenger car with 118 seats may accommodate more than 200 people.[citation needed]
Freight transport
Freight trains in China are primarily used to ship bulk cargo. The important cargo is coal, which accounts for more than half of total rail freight tonnage. In 2013, 2.322 billion tonnes of coal were shipped on trains in China, about 58% of the total rail freight tonnage of 3.967 billion.[24] Another one-fifth of rail freight was devoted to ores and minerals, which were 851 million tonnes (21.5%) in 2013.[24] Other major categories of bulk goods include grain (110 million tonnes, 2.77% in 2013) and fertilizer (87 million tonnes, 2.19% in 2013).[24] Container cargo constitutes a small but growing fraction of about 5% of the total rail traffic.[72] Despite impressive passenger statistics, freight rail modeshare in China trails other countries like USA, where some 40% of all tonnage is shipped by rail, according to US Federal Railroad Administration[73] or Switzerland where a similar share of ton kilometers of freight is carried by rail. In China, that number is only 8% as of 2016 and 77% for highways out of 43 billion tonnes, but the share of railways is expected to increase due to new environmental regulations in regards to air pollution, which is expected to force millions of trucks off roadways.[74]
Nearly all rail freight in China is used for domestic shipping. International rail cargo totaled 58 million tonnes in 2013, about 1.46% of overall freight tonnage.[24] The four largest rail ports of entry, Manzhouli, Suifenhe, Erenhot, Alashankou and accounted 56 million tonnes or 96.5% of the total.[24]
Cities in the Chinese interior have opened international rail freight routes to promote trade. In 2011,
Military transport
The
Rolling stock
As of 2013, China's rail inventory included 21,100 locomotives, a net increase of 261 from the year before.
The inventory in recent times included some 100 steam locomotives, but the last such locomotive, built in 1999, is now in service as a tourist attraction while the others have been retired from commercial service.
Among the most common types of Chinese locomotives are the DF (Dongfeng or "East Wind") diesel series, the SS (Shaoshan) electric series, and the HX (Hexie or "Harmony") series. In the first decade of the 21st century, China began to import and produce AC/DC-AC transmission electric locomotives; the most numerous of these are the HXD series "Harmony" locomotives for freight loads. Most modern trains, for example for the
In 2013, there were 60,600
High speed rolling stock
- CR300BF
- Zefiro 380
- X 2000
- Blue Arrow
- China Star
Cross-border linkages
China is a member of the
Current and past links
Cross-border passenger train services are available to destinations in:
- break-of-gauge.
- Hong Kong SAR, Laos, and North Korea. These use standard gauge.
- dual-gauged. Therefore, there are no break of gauge problems in the service.
Hong Kong
Train services to Hong Kong terminate at the Hung Hom station in Kowloon. Within Hong Kong the cross-boundary services use the tracks of the East Rail line. There are three through-train routes, Beijing line (to/from Beijing), Shanghai line (to/from Shanghai) and Guangdong line (to/from Zhaoqing and Guangzhou East). An express train service linking Hong Kong West Kowloon and Guangzhou entered service in September 2018. This new express rail line will reduce the train travel time between Hong Kong and Guangzhou from 2 hours to 1 hour.
North Korea
There are rail crossings along the border with North Korea at Dandong, Ji'an and Tumen.
Dandong, in Liaoning, is 277[80] km (172 mi) by regular train and 223 km (139 mi) by CHR south of Shenyang at the mouth of the Yalu River across from Sinuiju in North Korea's North Pyongan Province. This is the most heavily used rail connection between the two countries. Ji'an, upstream on the Yalu in Jilin and 400 km (250 mi) by rail from Siping, connects to Manpo in Chagang Province. Tumen, also in Jilin and 527 km (327 mi) east of Changchun is located across the Tumen River from Namyang, North Hamgyong Province.
There are four weekly trains with hard and soft sleepers from Beijing to Pyongyang, as well as a weekly carriage attached to the Vostok train from Moscow via Harbin, Shenyang and Dandong.[81]
Russia
China's three rail crossings into Russia are all located along the eastern section of the border between the two countries.
The crossings at
A third rail connection is located further south at
There are two weekly passenger trains in each direction between Beijing and Moscow.[81] The No. 19/20 trains travel 8,961 kilometres (5,568 mi) via Harbin, Manzhouli and the Trans-Siberian Railway.[81] The No. 3/4 trains, take a shorter route of 7,622 kilometres (4,736 mi), through Mongolia via the Trans-Mongolian Railway and has the two-berth deluxe soft sleeper cars.[81] Both journeys are among the longest train services in the world.
Mongolia
The lone rail connection with Mongolia's railways is located at Erenhot, in Xilingol League of central Inner Mongolia, which borders Zamyn-Üüd in Mongolia's Dornogovi Province.
There are two trains every week departing from Beijing and
Kazakhstan
There are two rail crossings on the
At Alashankou, in the
Khorgas, in the
Vietnam
There are two rail connections between China and
At Hekou, the narrow-gauge
. This line, also known as the Yunnan–Vietnam railway, was built by France from 1904 to 1910 though rugged terrain. Cross-border service on this line ceased in late 2000, but freight trains have kept this crossing operational.Laos
A railway connecting Kunming to the border with Laos is under construction, which connects to another under construction line linking the border to the Lao capital Vientiane, which already has a real link to Thailand. The line was opened on 3 December 2021 at the 60th anniversary of China–Laos relations.[91]
Proposed rail links
In recent years, China has been actively exploring and promoting the extension of its railway network to neighboring countries and distant regions including the Russian Far East, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and even North America.
Macau
Additionally, the city of Guangzhou, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai have proposed the construction of a new "Guangzhou-Zhongshan-Zhuhai-Macau Intercity Railways" which could further connectivity on the west bank of Pearl River Delta.[96]
Russian Far East
In November 2008, the transport ministries of Russia and the China signed an agreement to build one more link between the railway systems of the two countries. One project involves the
Additionally, a high speed rail link between Hunchun and Vladivostok have been proposed and discussed.[101][102][103][104]
Mongolia
In October 2014, the Mongolian parliament approved two standard gauge cross-border railways to China.
Central Asia
Since 1997, the governments of China,
On 5 May 2014, the
Nepal
China and Nepal signed a series of agreements including a railway link connecting
Pakistan
Since 2007, Chinese and Pakistani authorities have explored the possibility of building the
India
Indian and Chinese rail authorities have on several occasions expressed interest in initiating a high-speed rail link that would link Kolkata with Kunming, China via Myanmar.[115][116] The rail link would use the under construction railway from Manipur, India to Myanmar and the Dali–Ruili railway under construction in western Yunnan Province.
Longest train journeys
Some of the world's longest train journeys by distance travel through China. Beijing-Moscow trains via
The G/403/405 Beijing West – Kunming South train (2760 km, 10 3/4 hours), became the longest high-speed rail service in the world.
The world's longest freight rail service runs from Yiwu, Zhejiang in eastern China to Madrid, Spain, a journey of 13,000 km (8,100 mi) over three weeks.[118]
See also
- List of railway lines in China
- Narrow-gauge railways in China
- Urban rail transit in China
- Transport in China
- Rail transport in Taiwan
- Rail transport in Hong Kong
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)[7] and the CIA Factbook (191,270 km (118,850 mi) in 2014).[119] The CIA Factbook figure is based on "the total length of the railway network and of its component parts."[119] 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.[120][121] Any double-tracked route or route with a return track of shorter distance is counted using the length of the original route.[120][121] 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.[120][121] The Statistical Yearbook provides cross-year and cross-regional breakdowns of railway length and its figures are presented in China railway articles.[120][121]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q (Chinese) 2019 年铁道统计公报 – 2019 Railway statistical bulletin
- ^ a b c d e f Preston, Robert (3 January 2023). "China opens 4100km of new railway". International Railway Journal.
- ISSN 1672-741X.
- ^ a b c d e (Chinese) "2008年中国铁道概况" Archived 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine 19 March 2012
- ^ (Chinese) "青藏铁路刷新世界铁路最高点纪录[组图]" 25 August 2005
- ^ "China's operating high-speed railway hits 45,000 km - People's Daily Online". en.people.cn. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ a b China Statistical Yearbook 2016 "Length of Transport Routes at Year-end by Region (2015)" Accessed 16 February 2017
- ^ a b "Length of Beijing-HK rail network same as Equator". The Star. Malaysia. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "China's operating high-speed railway hits 45,000 km - People's Daily Online". en.people.cn. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "China plans to expand railway network to 200,000 km before 2035". Reuters. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- S2CID 153487724.
- ^ "China to keep large-scale railway construction in next five years: NPC deputy". ENGLISH.GOV.CN. The state council The people's republic of China. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ Qi, Zhongxi (2 August 2013). "China implements radical railway reform". International Railway Journal.
- ^ In his book "The Chinese Railways" published by Cheng Lin in 1935, he described the line as "a toy railway"
- ^ "Rail Track Mileage and Number of Class I Rail Carriers, United States, 1830–2016". The Geography of Transport Systems. 6 November 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-6308-8.
- ISBN 0231089589.
- ^ Parks M. Coble (Fall 2003), "Book Review: Cheng Hwei-shing (Zheng Huixin) Cong touzi gongsi dao "Guanbang shangxing": Zhongguo jianshe yin gongsi de chuangli ji qijingying huodong / From Private Investment Company to State Enterprise: The Development and Operation of the China Development Finance Corporation. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 2001" (PDF), Chinese Business History, 13 (2), Cornell University East Asia Program
- S2CID 162620573.
- ^ S2CID 218936313.
- ^ "China plans to expand railway network to 200,000 km before 2035". Reuters. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "中国铁路明确2035年及2050年发展目标_视频新闻_中国政府网". gov.cn. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ a b c "中华人民共和国铁路法" (in Simplified Chinese). National Railway Administration, Central People's Government. 27 August 2009. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2013年铁道统计公报" (in Simplified Chinese). National Railway Administration, Central People's Government. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
- ^ Note: this count excludes some high-speed rail stations. (Chinese) 中国铁路客运车站数量和分布统计
- ^ "Railway Statistical Bulletin for 2019" (PDF). Ministry of Railway, People's Republic of China. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Railway Statistical Bulletin for 2011". Ministry of Railway, People's Republic of China. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ National Bureau of Statistics of China
- ^ 2018 Rail Statistics Public Report (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2020/24/e3sconf_tpacee2020_07013.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b "China to keep large-scale railway construction in next five years: NPC deputy". en.people.cn. 10 March 2021.
- ^ a b "China sets 15-year transport expansion plan as it seeks to double size of economy by 2035". South China Morning Post. 26 February 2021.
- ^ "China's last steam train". BBC Travel.
- ^ a b (Chinese) 江世杰, 鐵路強化八縱八橫, 《人民日報》 Archived 10 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine 11 January 2001
- ^ (Chinese) 中国“八纵”中最后一“纵”洛湛铁路正式开通 China.com 1 July 2009
- ^ a b "Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway starts operation". Xinhua News Agency. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Work starts on Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway". People's Daily Online. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ "World's fastest railway in frigid regions starts operation". English.news.cn. 1 December 2012. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "盘锦至营口高速铁路运营 大连到北京6小时". 人民网. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Zha, Minjie (23 June 2011). "Beijing-Shanghai high speed rail to be launched June 30". Shanghai Daily. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
- ^ "China launches new high-speed railway". People's Daily Online. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Beijing – Guangzhou high speed line completed". Railway Gazette. 26 December 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "New high-speed railway spurs debate over prices". People's Daily Online. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Guangzhou south railway station to open on Jan. 30". Newsgd.com. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ Lu, Yanan; Zeng, Yong (26 December 2011). "Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railway opens". People's Daily Online. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "Shenzhen Futian train station to start operation in 2014". What's On Shenzhen. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Tunnelling difficulties delay Express Rail Link completion". Railway Gazette. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ "New high-speed railways open to promote intercity development". Xinhua News Agency. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "Xiamen-Shenzhen High Speed Railway opens to traffic". China Daily. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ "石家庄至济南铁路客运专线将开工". 中国交通. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ "江苏干线铁路完成闭合 连徐高铁2月8日开通运营". 新华网. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "郑徐高铁"超计划"动工 郑州将成"米"型高铁枢纽". 中国新闻网. 26 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b "China's railways mileage tops 100,000 km". People's Daily. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ 宝鸡至兰州铁路客运专线建设项目启动, Xinhua, 21 October 2012
- ^ 宝鸡至兰州客运专线陕西段工程开工建设, 21 October 2012
- ^ 宝鸡至兰州的客运专线昨天在榆中奠基 Archived 13 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 27 October 2012
- ^ "Yiwan Railway: a project with 253 bridges and 159 tunnels". Xinhua News Agency. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ a b "High-speed rail to connect Kunming, Hangzhou next year". InKunming. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ "Jiangshan segment of Hangzhou-Changsha high-speed railway under construction". Xinhua News Agency. 16 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ (Chinese) "宜万铁路工程之最" Archived 24 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine 11 February 2011
- ISBN 9780295751719.
- ^ "More homemade high-speed trains to hit rails". China Daily.
- ^ (Chinese) 去年全国铁路发送旅客14.56亿人次 增长10.6%
- ^ (39.7 billion passenger-km on just over a billion passenger trips over the DB system during the first 6 months of 2012) Passenger growth drives DB revenue to new high, 3 September 2012
- ^ "Slow trains bear witness to life changes in southwest China". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Tian Xuefei; Zhou Huiying; Wang Keju; Huang Zhiling; Mao Weihua. "In era of speed, slow trains chug on". China Daily. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Seats on High-Speed Trains" TravelChinaGuide.com Accessed 31 May 2014
- ^ "Different Seat Classes on China Trains" ChinaTour.net Accessed 26 December 2014
- ^ "Train travel in China". www.seat61.com.
- ^ "China railways carry record 6.54 mln passengers on May 1" Xinhua
- ^ "2020年中国铁路货运行业市场现状及发展趋势分析 集装箱运输将成为未来市场增长点" [Analysis of the status and development trends of China's railway freight industry in 2020 – Container transportation will become the future market growth point]. 25 December 2020.
- ^ "Freight Rail Overview – Federal Railroad Administration". fra.dot.gov.
- ^ "China's small factories fear 'rail Armageddon' with orders to ditch trucks". Reuters. 21 September 2017.
- ^ a b (Chinese) Regular cargo trains link Chongqing, Germany's Duisburg, Xinhua 8 April 2014
- ^ (Chinese) 解放军战略导弹部队铁路运输兵亮相 13 October 2011
- ^ (Chinese) 解放军核导弹可铁路运输 走南闯北纵贯东西 5 September 2013
- ^ (Chinese) 余汝信, "1967:军队介入铁路系统过程述略" Archived 2 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine 30 September 2013
- ^ "China" UIC website Updated 4 March 2013
- ^ "Home". train.huochepiao.com.
- ^ a b c d "Trans-Siberian Railway Tours" Accessed 25 May 2014
- ^ According to the Russian train schedules at http://www.poezda.net/ (November 2008).
- ^ Kawamura, Kazumi. "Nine Transportation Corridors in Northeast Asia and Their Discontinuous Points". The Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
- ^ Пустой коридор Archived 6 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine ("An empty corridor") Dalnevostochny Kapital, No.7, July 2004. (in Russian)
- ^ a b Россия и Китай реанимируют бездействующий погранпереход (Russia and China will revive a defunct border crossing), 20 September 2012
- ^ a b Погранпереход готов к работе. Подписан акт о полной готовности железнодорожного пограничного перехода Махалино (РФ) – Хуньчунь (КНР) на Дальневосточной железной дороге. (The border crossing is ready for operation. The statement of full readiness for operation of the railway border crossing Makhalino (RF) – Hunchun (PRC) on the Far Eastern Railway has been signed), Gudok, No. 47, 20 December 2013.
- ^ Переход Махалино–Хуньчунь[permanent dead link] (Makhalino-Hunchun border crossing), 12 August 2011
- ^ Passenger service to Yining began in 2010 and extended to Khorgos in January 2013. Xinjiang’s first electrified railway rails laid 17 September 2009
- ^ a b Today near Almaty started building of a new branch line which will connect Kazakhstan and the Peoples Republic of China[permanent dead link] 5 August 2009.
- ^ (Chinese) [1] Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 24 December 2013
- ^ "中老铁路12月3日全线开通运营 昆明至万象约10小时可达". 2 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ 力報. "輕軌土建工程基本完成 政府重申氹仔段2019年通車-澳門力報官網".
- ^ chinanews. "澳门计划澳门轻轨与广珠城轨在横琴口岸实现无缝对接-中新网". chinanews.com.
- ^ "Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Rail Connects with the Macao Light Rail in Hengqin". Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ Lai, Stephanie (28 December 2015). "Guangzhou-Zhuhai rail extension ready for commissioning in mid-2018 – Macau Business". macaubusiness.com.
- ^ 深圳新闻网. "深中通道主体终于要动工了!2023年底或2024年上半年通车_深圳新闻网". dc.sznews.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ^ Мост через Амур между РФ и КНР начнут строить в ближайшие месяцы (Construction of the bridge across the Amur between the RF and the PRC will start within a few months), 20 May 2014
- ^ Salvacion, Manny (9 February 2017). "Amur International Rail Bridge Receives $110 Million Funding, Boosting China-Russia Key Trade Link".
- ^ 宋静丽. "China-Russia rail bridge on right track – Business – Chinadaily.com.cn". China Daily.
- ^ "Bridge across Amur River spanning Russian and Chinese coasts to be erected in 2018". Construction.ru.
- ^ "High-speed rail line could link Russian Far East to China in only an hour". siberiantimes.com.
- ^ "吉林省向俄罗斯提议修建中俄跨境高铁至海参崴". guancha.cn.
- ^ "Глава РЖД Якунин не в восторге от идеи связать Хуньчунь и Владивосток жд-магистралью". PrimaMedia (in Russian).
- ^ "俄铁总裁亚库宁:珲春至海参崴跨境高铁有可行性 但需详细规划". guancha.cn.
- ^ a b c (Chinese) 蒙古国南线两段铁路将采用与中国相同标轨 深圳广电集团 Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine 25 October 2014
- ^ a b c Michael Kohn, Mongolia Embraces China With Compatible Rail to Cut Costs, Bloomberg 24 October 2014
- ^ a b (Chinese) "评论称是俄罗斯搅黄了中吉乌铁路" 10 March 2014
- ^ John C. K. Daly, "China and Kyrgyzstan Discuss Rail Projects" Jamestown Foundation 13 February 2014
- ^ Chinese bank funds Uzbek railway project" Azernews 14 May 2014
- ^ China, Turkmenistan vow to develop strategic partnership 12 May 2014
- ^ (Chinese) 吉尔吉斯斯坦建议中国参与中亚铁路项目 22 May 2014
- ^ "China to build railway into Nepal – China Daily". Reuters. 22 June 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ Om Astha Rai (21 June 2018). "The great march". Nepali Times. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ a b (Chinese) 中巴经济走廊开始构建 铁路项目短期或难启动 21 February 2014
- ^ "Railway eyes rail link to China". The Times of India. India. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011.
- ^ "China wants to build bullet train service with India that connects Kunming and Kolkata". Business Today (India). 13 September 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ (Chinese)"新增伊宁至上海T206/3、T204/5次特快列车" 10 December 2014
- ^ "The Silk Railway: freight train from China pulls up in Madrid" Guardian 10 December 2014
- ^ a b CIA World Factbook "Country Comparison:Railways" Accessed 16 February 2017
- ^ a b c d (Chinese) 中华人民共和国国家统计局,"国家数据,年度数据,铁路营业里程(万公里),指示解释" Accessed 16 February 2017
- ^ a b c d National Bureau of Statistics of China, National Data, Annual Data, Length of Transport Routes, Length of Railways in Operation (10000 km), Explanatory Notes of Indicators" Accessed 16 February 2017
External links
- Ministry of Railways (in Chinese)
- Chinese Railways
- Individual passenger train maps (mainly English, stations & timetables also in Chinese)
- Shanghai Maglev Transrapid
- China Train Guide
- China Train Schedules
- China Academy of Railway Sciences
- Facts about Trains in China
- 2010 China Railways Official Promotional Video: Harmonious Railways
- Steam Railway Photographs – China
- "Russian and Chinese Railways (1932 article by Alexander E. Tetzner)". NZETC. 1933.