China High Speed Railway Network

Coastal Passageway, a high-speed rail corridor passing along the eastern coast of China, starting from Dalian in the north to Fangchenggang in the south and passing through the cities of Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Dongying, Weifang, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Yancheng, Nantong, Shanghai, Ningbo. Fuzhou, Xiamen, Shenzhen, and Zhanjiang.

China has world’s largest high speed railway network as long as 45,000 km (27,960 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 total length of over 50,000 km (31,070 mi).

Line Open Date Length (km) Designed Speed (km/h)

Eight North - South High Speed Rail Lines

 Coastal Passageway --- 4,900 ---
Qingdao-Rongcheng  2016/11/16 300 250
Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong 2020/7/1 143 200
 Beijing-Shanghai Passageway --- 1,318 ---
Beijing-Shanghai 
2011/06/30
1,318
350
Hefei-Hangzhou 2022/9/22 309 350
Nanjing-Hangzhou 2013/07/01 256 350
 Beijing-Hong Kong Passageway --- 2,698 ---
Beijing-Hong Kong 2019/12/01 236,0 350
Hefei-Taipei 2025 250 350
 Harbin-Hong Kong Passageway --- 3,389 ---
Beijing-Harbin 2021/1/22 1,198 350
Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong 2018/9/23 141 350
 Hohhot–Nanning Passageway --- 2,300
Hohhot-Nanning 2013/12/03 2,100 350
 Beijing–Kunming Passageway --- 2,760 ---
Beijing-Kunming 2026 2,760 350
Beijing-Taiyuan 201/12/26 506 350
Baotou (Yinchuan)–Hainan Passageway --- 2,300 ---
Baotou - Haikou 2022/12 2,300 350
Yinchuan - Xi’an 2020/12/26 617 250
Lanzhou (Xining)–Guangzhou Passageway --- 2,216 ---
Lanzhou-Chengdu 2014/08/08 800 350
Chengdu-Guiyang 2019/12/16 648 250
Guiyang-Guangzhou 2014/12/26 857 300

Eight East - West High Speed Rail Lines

Suifenhe–Manzhouli Passageway --- 1,680 ---
Suifenhe–Manzhouli 2023/12/10 1,479 100
Beijing–Lanzhou Passageway --- 1,486 ---
Beijing–Lanzhou 2019/12/30 1,474 350
Qingdao–Yinchuan Passageway --- 1,530 ---
Qingdao–Yinchuan 2019/1/5 1,530 350
Eurasia Continental Bridge Passageway --- 3,422 ---
Lianyungang to Urumqi 2021/2/8 3,422 350
Yangtze River Passageway --- 2,100 ---
Shanghai-Chengdu 2025 2,100 350
Nanjing-Chongqing 2014/12/10 1,396 350
Wanzhou-Chengdu 2025 477 350
 Shanghai-Kunming Passageway --- 2,730 ---
Shanghai-Kunming 2016/12/28 2,252 300
Xiamen–Chongqing Passageway --- 1,473 ---
Xiamen–Chongqing 2019/12/26 1,473 350
Guangzhou–Kunming Passageway --- 1,386 ---
Guangzhou-Kunming 2012/9/28 1,386 250
 

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:

 


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
Second Class Seat

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

Suifenhe – Manzhouli

It is on the long-term plan of high speed railway network.
Travel route: Xiamen – Longyan – Ganzhou – Changsha – Changde – Zhangjiajie – Qianjiang – Chongqing
 

Beijing – Lanzhou 

Length: 923 miles (1,486 kilometers)
Major stations: Beijing West, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou East, Lanzhou West
Duration: 7-9 hours
Route description: It has been opened on December 30, 2019. The high speed rail connects north and northwest China, running from Beijing through Hohhot and Yinchuan to Lanzhou.
 

Qingdao – Yinchuan 

Length: 950 miles (1,530 kilometers)
Major stations: Qingdao North, Jinan, Zhijiazhuang, Taiyuan South, Yinchuan
Duration: 10.5 hours
Route description:  The high-speed rail line starts from Qingdao in the coastal province of Shandong to Yinchuan in Ningxia.
 

Eurasia Continental Bridge Passageway

Eurasia Continental Bridge Passageway, a high-speed rail connects Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province to Urumqi in Xinjiang Province. The route passes through the cities of Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Xining.
 

Yangtze River Passageway

Yangtze River Passageway, a high-speed rail that will run in an east-west direction largely parallel to the Yangtze River, connecting the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan, Chongqing and Chengdu.
 

Bullet Train
Passengers on Bullet Train Platform

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.
 

Xiamen–Chongqing

 

Length: 915 miles (1,473 kilometers)
Major stations: Xiamen, Longyan, Ganzhou, Changsha, Changde, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing
Duration: 12.5 – 15 hours
Route description: It connects the west coast of the Taiwan Straits, South-central and south-western regions in China, stretching from Xiamen to Chongqing, passing through cities of Longyan, Ganzhou, Changsha, Changde, Zhangjiajie and Qianjiang.
 

Train Cabin
Train Cabin

Guangzhou –  Kunming 

Length: 861 miles (1,386 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.


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

- Last updated on Oct. 30, 2024 by Grace Yang -