China High Speed Railway Network

China has world’s largest high speed railway network as long as 42,000 km (26,100 mi) and capable of accommodating high speed trains running at 250 - 350 km/h (186 - 217 mph).

The present high speed railway network mainly consists of four north-south and four east-west trunk railways.
 

According to the long-term plan, the network will be extended to eight north-south and eight east-west high speed lines by 2030, with a tital length of 45,000 km (27,960 mi).

Line	Open Date	Length (km)	Designed Speed (km/h)
Four North - South High Speed Rail Lines
Beijing-Shanghai	---	1,450	---
Beijing-Shanghai	2011/06/30	1,318	300
Hefei-Bengbu	2012/10/16	132	350
Beijing-Hong Kong (Beijing-Guangzhou in operation since 2012)	---	2,440	---
Beijing-Shijiazhuang	2012/12/26	281	350
Shijiazhuang-Wuhan	2012/12/26	948	350
Wuhan-Guangzhou	2009/12/26	1,069	300
Guangzhou-Shenzhen	2011/12/26	142	350
Shenzhen-Hong Kong	2018/09/23		200
Beijing-Harbin	---	1,300	---
Beijing-Shenyang	2019	698	350
Harbin-Dalian	2012/12/01	921	300
Panjin-Yingkou	2013/09/12	89	350
Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen	---	1,464	---
Hangzhou-Ningbo	2013/07/01	155	350
Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou	2009/09/28	275	200
Wenzhou-Fuzhou	2009/06/30	294	200
Fuzhou-Xiamen	2010/04/26	226	250
Xiamen-Shenzhen	2013/12/28	514	200
Four East - West High Speed Rail Lines
Xuzhou-Lanzhou	---	1,400	---
Zhengzhou-Xuzhou	2016/09/10	360	350
Zhengzhou-Xi'an	2010/02/06	523	300
Xi'an-Baoji	2013/12/28	167	250
Baoji-Lanzhou	2017	401	250
Shanghai-Kunming	---	2,266	---
Shanghai-Hangzhou	2010/10/26	159	350
Hangzhou-Changsha	2014/12/10	924	350
Changsha-Kunming	2016	1,183	350
Qingdao-Taiyuan	---	770	---
Qingdao-Jinan	2008/12/20	413	250
Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan	2009/04/01	232	250
Shijiazhuang-Jinan	2017	323	250
Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu	---	1,985	---
Shanghai-Nanjing	2010/07/01	311	300
Nanjing-Hefei	2008/04/18	157	200
Hefei-Wuhan	2009/04/01	359	250
Wuhan-Yichang	2012/07/01	292	200
Yichang-Lichuan	2010/12/22	275	160
Lichuan-Chongqing	2013/12/28	278	200
Chongqing-Suining	2012/12/31	167	200
Suining-Chengdu	2009/07/07	146	200

 

Map of China High Speed Railway Network

Maps

Length: 819 miles (about 1,318 kilometers)
Major stations: Beijing South, Tianjin South, Jinan West, Xuzhou East, Nanjing South, Shanghai Hongqiao
Duration: 5 - 6 hours
Route description: This is one of the busiest lines in China's high speed railway network. By June 30, 2017, the 6th anniversary of operation, this line has served 630 million passengers. It also has two branches: Nanjing – Hangzhou Line, and Bengbu – Hefei – Hangzhou Line.
 

It consists of two trunk lines, Beijing – Harbin and Beijing – Guangzhou – Shenzhen - Hong Kong, and a branch line, Guangzhou – Zhuhai – Macau.

 Beijing – Harbin:

Length: 808 miles (1,300 kilometers)
Major stations: Beijing Xinghuo, Chengde South, Chaoyang North, Fuxin, Shenyang, Shenyang North, Tieling West, Siping East, Changchun West, Harbin West, Dalian, Puwan, Anshan, Jilin, Shuangji, Yingkou East
Duration: 7 hours between Beijing and Harbin, 3.5 – 4.5 hours between Dalian and Harbin
Route description: Besides the main line, it also has several branches, Harbin - Dalian, Panjin - Yingkou, and Changchun - Jilin - Hunchun. The section between Beijing and Shenyang along the main line is under construction and bullet trains are currently detouring along Beijing-Tianjin-Qinhuangdao-Shenyang Line.
 

China High Speed Train

 Beijing - Hong Kong: 

Length: 88 miles (142 kilometers)Length: 1,516 miles (2,440 kilometers)
Major stations: Beijing West, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou East, Wuhan, Changsha South, Hengyang East, Guangzhou South, Shenzhen North, Hong Kong West Kowloon
Duration: 9 hours
Route description: Reputed as “world’s longest high speed railway, the whole line has been opened on September 23, 2018. 


 Guangzhou – Zhuhai – Macau

Major stations: Guangzhou South, Shunde, Xiaolan, Jiangmen, Xinhui, Zhongshan, Zhuhai North, Zhuhai
Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
Route description: This line is scheduled to be connected with the Macau Light Rail which is under construction. When finished, passengers can travel between Macau and Guangzhou more conveniently.

Guangzhou - Zhuhai High Speed Railway 

 
 

Length: 910 miles (1,464 kilometers)
Major stations: Hangzhou East, Shaoxing North, Ningbo, Taizhou, Wenling, Wenzhou South, Fuzhou South, Putian, Quanzhou, Xiamen North, Chaoshan, Shenzhen North
Duration: 9.5 – 10.5 hours
Route description: It travels along China’s southeast coastal line, connecting Yangtze River Delta with Pearl River Delta by high speed trains. According to the long-term plan, this railway will be extended northward to Shanghai, Nantong, Yancheng, Lianyungang, Qingdao (Yantai), Weifang, Dongying, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Dandong (Dalian), and westward to Zhanjiang and Beihai (Fangchenggang), forming a network along China's long coastal line.

The following five lines are in the long-term plan of China high speed railway network and scheduled to be finished by 2030.

 

Travel route: Beijing – Hengshui – Heze – Shangqiu – Fuyang – Hefei (Huanggang) – Jiujiang – Nanchang – Ganzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong, including Hefei – Fuzhou – Taipei and Nanchang – Fuzhou (Putian) branches.
 

Travel route: Hohhot – Datong – Taiyuan – Changzhi – Jiaozuo – Zhengzhou – Xianyang – Yiyang – Loudi - Shaoyang – Yongzhou – Guilin - Nanning
 

Travel route: Beijing – Shijiazhuang – Taiyuan – Xi'an – Chengdu (Chongqing) – Kunming, including a branch Beijing – Zhangjiakou - Datong
 

Travel route: Baotou – Yan’an – Xi'an – Chongqing – Guiyang – Nanning – Zhanjiang – Haikou – Sanya, including the branch Yinchuan - Xi'an line.
 

Travel Route: Lanzhou (Xining) – Chengdu (Chongqing) – Guiyang – Guangzhou
 

Length: 1,408 miles (2,266 kilometers)
Major stations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Hangzhou East, Yiwu, Jinhua, Nanchang West, Changsha South, Shaoshan South, Huaihua South, Guiyang North, Anshun, Qujing, Kunming South
Duration: 10.5-12 hours
Route description: Running from China’s east coastal area to the southwest, this line passes by many different landscapes and is one of China’s most beautiful high speed lines. In addition, the Kunming – Thailand High Speed Line via Laos is under construction. When finished, it will connect the high speed railway network of China with southeast Asia.
 

Length: 478 miles (770 kilometers)
Major stations: Qingdao, Weifang, Zibo, Jinan, Zhijiazhuang, Yangquan North, Taiyuan South
Duration: 4 hours
Route description:  In the future, this railway will go westward to Yinchuan.
 

Length: 1,233 miles (1,985 kilometers)
Major stations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Suzhou North, Wuxi East, Nanjing South, Hefei, Wuhan Hankou, Yichang East, Enshi, Lichuan, Chongqing North, Chengdu East
Duration: 14.5 – 15 hours
Route description: It greatly shortens the rail duration for about 20 hours, thus strengthen the communication between Yangtze River Delta with east and south central China.
 

Length: 798 miles (1,284 kilometers)
Major stations: Guangzhou South, Zhaoqing East, Nanning East, Baise, Puzhehei, Mile, Kunming South
Duration: 9 hours
Route description: The section has been fully opened on December 26th, 2016. As the Nanning - Guangzhou High Speed Railway is crowded, another parallel line will be built by 2030 to accommodate more high speed trains.

The below three lines are also on the long-term plan of high speed railway network.
 

Travel route: Suifenhe – Mudanjiang – Harbin – Qiqihar – Hailar – Manzhouli
 

Travel route: Beijing – Zhangjiakou – Hohhot – Yinchuan – Lanzhou
 

Travel route: Xiamen – Longyan – Ganzhou – Changsha – Changde – Zhangjiajie – Qianjiang – Chongqing

 Further Reading:
China Railway Network 
8 Most Scenic Train Rides in China