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
 

North - South Lines

 China High Speed Railway Planning Map
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.
 

Harbin - Beijing - Hong Kong - Macau

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.
 

Bullet Train at Station
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 

 
 

Hangzhou – Fuzhou – Shenzhen

 
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.

 
Passengers on Train

Beijing – Hong Kong – Taipei

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

Hohhot – Nanning

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

Beijing – Kunming

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

Baotou – Haikou

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

Lanzhou (Xining) – Guangzhou

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

East - West Lines

Xuzhou – Lanzhou 

Length: 870 miles (1,400 kilometers)
Major stations: Xuzhou East, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Luoyang Longmen, Huashan North, Xi'an North, Baoji South, Tianshui South, Lanzhou West
Duration: 8 hours
Route description: It has been opened on July 9, 2017. The high speed train can continue running west along the finished Lanzhou-Xinjiang High Speed Railway to Urumqi. Also, the line will be extended further towards the east to Lianyungang. By then, this will really be a very long high speed line across China in the east-west direction.
 

Bullet Train

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.
 

Qingdao – Taiyuan 

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.
 

Train Cabin

Guangzhou – Nanning – Kunming 

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.
 

Suifenhe – Manzhouli

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

Beijing – Lanzhou

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

Xiamen – Chongqing

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


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

- Last updated on Jan. 12, 2023 by Brenda Lian -
Questions & Answers on China High Speed Railway Network
Asked by H. Chen from CANADAHSINGYANGCHOTMAIL.COM | Jul. 14, 2019 09:30Reply
any high speed train from Enshi to Kunming ? what is the train fare and travel duration ?
Answers (1)
Answered by Lacey from UNITED KINGDOM | Jul. 14, 2019 20:02
00Reply


No, no direct one. You may consider to go to Chongqing North First and then transfer to Chongqing West to take another train to Kunming. The total duration may around 10 hours and costs CNY450
Asked by Iola from MALAYSIA | Mar. 08, 2019 02:10Reply
Is there any important new high speed rail will be completed in 2019?
Answers (1)
Answered by Jeremy | Mar. 10, 2019 17:47
00Reply


I know a short high speed rail between Chengdu and Guiyang should be put into service soon. At that time, the travel time would be shorter as passengers do not need to go via Chongqing first and then to Guiyang. Another one would be the high speed rail to Badaling.
Asked by KHOO Chin Teng from MALAYSIA | Apr. 06, 2018 10:49Reply
Hi! would like to know is there a speed train we can take from Guangzhou to Chaoyang
Answers (1)
Answered by Angela | Apr. 07, 2018 03:45
20Reply


Do you refer to Chaoyang station in Shantou city? Yes, there are many high speed rails available from Guangzhou South or Guangzhou East to Chaoyang [Shantou]. You can check on this website directly.
Asked by Peter from BELGIUM | Jun. 22, 2017 14:49Reply
Hello, looking if the G2910 between Guilin and Shenzhen North stops in Yangshuo -thx
Answers (1)
Answered by Nana | Jun. 23, 2017 00:43
00Reply


This G2910 go from Guilin to Shenzhen North, it has a stopover in Yangshuo. You can check in on this website by detailed date
Asked by wilson Liao from USA | Jul. 24, 2015 20:52Reply
Is there G train run between Gwangzhau & Chengsha ? How many trips daily?
Answers (1)
Answered by Miss Jens from JAPAN | Jul. 24, 2015 21:49
01Reply


Do you mean GuangZhou to Changsha? There are many many trips everyday. You could try to search on this website.
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