The first train of Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway, G6888, departs from Xingshan Railway Station in Xingshan County, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 28, 2026. The 101-kilometer Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway officially entered service on Monday. The railway, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, is an important part of the country's high-speed rail network. (Photo by Zou Yuanjing/Xinhua)
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China, home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, opened four major high-speed railway sections to traffic on Monday, improving transport links across several regions.
The new sections connect Xiong'an in Hebei Province with Shangqiu in Henan Province, Xi'an with Ankang in Shaanxi Province, Yichang with Xingshan in Hubei Province, and Harbin with Yichun in Heilongjiang Province.
Spanning northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China, the new lines will facilitate travel for residents, improve regional connectivity and support economic development.
In north China, the Xiong'an-Shangqiu section runs through Xiong'an New Area, Cangzhou, Hengshui and Xingtai in Hebei Province, Liaocheng in Shandong Province, Puyang in Henan Province, and Jining and Heze in Shandong Province before reaching Shangqiu in Henan Province, with the main line measuring 552 kilometers long.
"Once the section begins operations, the fastest journey from Xiong'an to Shangqiu will take just 2 hours and 27 minutes," said Han Yong, deputy director of the passenger transport center of China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd., adding that the route will further strengthen communications between Xiong'an New Area and China's vast northern and central markets.
In northwest China, the 171-km Xi'an-Ankang section crosses the Qinling Mountains, overcoming complex geological challenges while also prioritizing ecological protection. With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the train can travel between its two terminal stations in just 45 minutes.
Construction of the Yichang-Xingshan section in central China faced similar challenges, with the railway traversing the Daba Mountains through a 16.9-km-long deep-buried tunnel and a high-rise mega bridge.
The Yichang-Xingshan line connects China's two major high-speed railway arteries, namely the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway along the Yangtze River and the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway, and will unleash fresh development momentum along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, according to China Railway Wuhan Bureau Group Co., Ltd., its operator.
In northeast China, the 318-km Harbin-Yichun section is China's northernmost high-speed railway ever constructed. Its terminal, Yichun West Station, is located at 47 degrees north latitude, making it China's first high-speed railway station building constructed in a permafrost region, said Shi Qinwei, head of the Yichun West Station project at China Railway Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Linking Harbin, China's renowned winter destination in Heilongjiang Province with Yichun, the province's forest-enclosed haven for summer retreat, the route will cut the railway travel time between the two cities from about seven hours to roughly two hours, while extending China's modern high-speed rails to the lesser-tapped northern regions.
Opened shortly before the National Day holiday, the new railways are also expected to boost tourist flows between China's major cities along the route, as well as iconic attractions such as Yichang's Three Gorges Dam and Yichun's emerald forests.
China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., the country's railroad operator, is expecting some 284 million passenger trips during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period, which extends from Sept. 23 to October 8.
China is expanding and optimizing its high-speed rail network to better serve its booming domestic markets and industries.
By the end of 2025, the country's total operating railway mileage had reached 165,000 km, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail.
Fixed-asset investment in the railway sector totaled 511.8 billion yuan (about 75.9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of the year, up 1.5 percent year on year, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
Under national plans, China's high-speed rail network is projected to hit 70,000 km by 2035, with eight north-south vertical lines and eight east-west horizontal lines. Once complete, the network will connect major cities, city clusters and key economic zones throughout the country. ■
An aerial drone photo shows the high-speed train G3950 pulling out of the Heze East Railway Station in Heze City, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2026. A new railway connecting Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province started operation on Monday. The railway travel time between Xiong'an and Shangqiu was shortened to 2 hours and 27 minutes. The 552-kilometer new line is a part of China's artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong Railway. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)
A high-speed train, which runs along the Xiong'an-Shangqiu high-speed railway, passes a grand bridge over the Yellow River on Sept. 28, 2026. A new railway connecting Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province started operation on Monday. The railway travel time between Xiong'an and Shangqiu was shortened to 2 hours and 27 minutes. The 552-kilometer new line is a part of China's artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong Railway. (China Railway Jinan Group/Handout via Xinhua)
Constructors pose for a photo with the train G3935, which will pass through the Xiong'an-Shangqiu high-speed railway, at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2026. A new railway connecting Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province started operation on Monday. The railway travel time between Xiong'an and Shangqiu was shortened to 2 hours and 27 minutes. The 552-kilometer new line is a part of China's artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong Railway. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
Constructors, railway staff and passengers pose for a photo on a train running along the Xiong'an-Shangqiu high-speed railway on Sept. 28, 2026. A new railway connecting Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province started operation on Monday. The railway travel time between Xiong'an and Shangqiu was shortened to 2 hours and 27 minutes. The 552-kilometer new line is a part of China's artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong Railway. (Photo by Wang Guansheng/Xinhua)
Passengers walk to board the high-speed train G9216 at the Heze East Railway Station in Heze City, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2026. A new railway connecting Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province started operation on Monday. The railway travel time between Xiong'an and Shangqiu was shortened to 2 hours and 27 minutes. The 552-kilometer new line is a part of China's artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong Railway. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)
Train attendants are seen beside G9997, the first train of the Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway, at Xi'an East Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 28, 2026. The Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway was officially put into operation on Monday, cutting the railway travel time between Xi'an and Ankang to less than one hour. Spanning about 171 kilometers and with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway runs through the cities of Xi'an, Shangluo and Ankang in Shaanxi Province and has five stations along the line. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 22, 2026 shows a view of the newly-built Niubeiliang Station along the Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway was officially put into operation on Monday, cutting the railway travel time between Xi'an and Ankang to less than one hour. Spanning about 171 kilometers and with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway runs through the cities of Xi'an, Shangluo and Ankang in Shaanxi Province and has five stations along the line. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)
An aerial drone photo shows G9997, the first train of the Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway, arriving at Ankang West Station in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 28, 2026. The Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway was officially put into operation on Monday, cutting the railway travel time between Xi'an and Ankang to less than one hour. Spanning about 171 kilometers and with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway runs through the cities of Xi'an, Shangluo and Ankang in Shaanxi Province and has five stations along the line. (Photo by Xiong Guodong/Xinhua)
The first train of Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway, G6888, is pictured ahead of its departure from Xingshan Railway Station in Xingshan County, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 28, 2026. The 101-kilometer Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway officially entered service on Monday. The railway, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, is an important part of the country's high-speed rail network. (Xinhua/Wang Zichen)
A drone photo taken on Sept. 28, 2026 shows the first train of Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway, G6888, departing from Xingshan Railway Station in Xingshan County, central China's Hubei Province. The 101-kilometer Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway officially entered service on Monday. The railway, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, is an important part of the country's high-speed rail network. (Photo by Zhang Yali/Xinhua)
A drone photo taken on Sept. 28, 2026 shows the first train of Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway, G6888, departing from Xingshan Railway Station in Xingshan County, central China's Hubei Province. The 101-kilometer Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway officially entered service on Monday. The railway, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, is an important part of the country's high-speed rail network. (Photo by Wang Yuqi/Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 28, 2026 shows the first train of Harbin-Yichun high-speed railway running in Yichun, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. China's northernmost high-speed railway, running through a region of discontinuous permafrost in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, officially entered service on Monday.
With a designed speed of 250 kilometers per hour, the 318-km line slashed travel time between Harbin and Yichun from about seven hours to just two hours. (Photo by Zhang Shu/Xinhua)
A passenger takes photos on the first train of the Harbin-Yichun high-speed railway in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Sept. 28, 2026. China's northernmost high-speed railway, running through a region of discontinuous permafrost in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, officially entered service on Monday.
With a designed speed of 250 kilometers per hour, the 318-km line slashed travel time between Harbin and Yichun from about seven hours to just two hours. (Xinhua/Na Yuqi)
