Transport in China has experienced major growth and expansion in recent years. Although China's transport system comprises a vast network of transport nodes across its huge territory, the nodes tend to concentrate in the more economically developed coastal areas and inland cities along major rivers. The physical state and comprehensiveness of China's transport infrastructure tend to vary widely by geography. While remote, rural areas still largely depend on non-mechanized means of transport, urban areas boast a wide variety of modern options, including a maglev system connecting the city center of Shanghai with Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Airports, roads, and railway construction will provide a massive employment boost in China over the next decade.

Much of contemporary China's transport systems have been built since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. The railway, which is the primary mode of long distance transport, has seen rapid growth reaching of railway lines making it the second longest network in the world (2016).China Statistical Yearbook 2016 "Length of Transport Routes at Year-end by Region (2015)" Accessed 2017-02-16 Prior to 1950, there were only of railway lines. The extensive rail network includes the longest and busiest HSR network in the world with of high-speed lines by year end 2019. While rail travel remained the most popular form of intercity transport, air travel has also experienced significant growth since the late 1990s. Major airports such as Beijing Capital International and Shanghai Pudong International being among the busiest in the world. At the end of 2017, there are some 34 metro systems in operation across China, including some of the largest and busiest subway networks in the world. Of the 12 largest metro networks in the world by length, seven are now in China. Additionally, many bus rapid transit, light rail and rapid transit lines are currently under construction, or in the planning stages across the country. The highway and road system also has gone through rapid expansion, resulting in a rapid increase of motor vehicle use throughout China. A government-led effort started in the 90s to connect the country by expressways via the National Trunk Highway System has expanded the network to about by the end of 2012 making China's the longest expressway network in the world.

History

China is in the midst of a massive upgrade of its transport infrastructure. Until recently, China's economy was able to continue to grow despite deficiencies in infrastructure development. This is no longer the case, and the government realizes that to keep the economy moving forward, they need an efficient system in place to move goods and people across the country. According to World Bank statistics, goods lost due to poor or obsolete transport infrastructure amounted to one percent of China's GDP as recently as the most current survey (mid-1990s). Logistic costs account for 20% of a product's price in China, compared to 10% in the United States, and 5% in other developed countries.

Ports are being improved for greater use of China's waterways, and airports are being improved across the country. Related industries such as construction equipment, engineering, container security, and electronics and safety devices have also grown rapidly.

Regulation

Mainland China Transport in mainland China is regulated by the Ministry of Transport and its subordinate departments such as the National Railway Administration and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Special administrative regions

The aforementioned transport authorities have no jurisdiction in Hong Kong and Macau. Hong Kong's transport is regulated by the Transport Department of Hong Kong, whereas Macau's transport is regulated by the Transport Bureau of Macau.

Rail

Rail is the major mode of transport in China. In 2019, railways in China delivered 3.660 billion passenger trips, generating 1,470.66 billion passenger-kilometres and carried 4.389 billion tonnes of freight, generating 3,018 billion cargo tonne-kilometres;(Chinese) 2019 年铁道统计公报 - 2019 Railway statistical bulletin both traffic volumes are among the highest in the world. The high volume of traffic that China's railway system carries makes it critical to China's economy. China's railway system carries 24% of the world's railway transport volume on only 6% of the world's railways. China has the world's second longest railway network; as of 2020 it is long. About 71.9% of the network is electrified in 2019.

In 2011 China's railway inventory included 19,431 locomotives owned by the national railway system. 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. The remaining locomotives are either diesel- or electric-powered. Another 352 locomotives are owned by local railroads and 604 operated by joint-venture railways. National railway freight cars numbered 622,284 and passenger coaches 52,130 .

Because of its limited capital, overburdened infrastructure, and need to continuously modernize, the national rail system, which is controlled by the Ministry of Railways through a network of regional divisions, operates on an austere budget. Foreign capital investment in the freight sector was allowed beginning in 2003, and international public stock offerings opened in 2006. In another move to better capitalize and reform the rail system, the Ministry of Railways established three public shareholder-owned companies in 2003: China Railways Container Transport Company, China Railway Special Cargo Service Company, and China Railways Parcel Express Company.

In recent decades, rail use in China has seen significant growth in the volume of goods and passengers transported. Since 1980, the volume of goods transported (metric tons times kilometers traveled) has increased by 305% and the volume of passengers (million passengers times kilometers traveled) has increased by 485%. During this same time period, total length of rail lines has only increased by 34%.

Statistics Source: 1980 1990 2000 2010 2014 2015 2017 Rail lines (total route-km) 49,940 53,378 58,656 66,239 66,989 Goods transported on railways (metric tons times kilometers traveled) 570,732 1,060,100 1,333,606 2,451,185 2,308,669 Passengers carried on railways (million passengers times kilometers traveled) 138,037 263,530 441,468 791,158 807,065 Urban rail transit (kilometers) 5,033 Subway (kilometers) 3,844 Urban rail transit under construction (kilometers) 6,246 Bus rapid transit (kilometers) 2,991

Regional development

In 1992, a new large-scale rail project was launched in China, called the "New Silk Road" or "Eurasian Continental Bridge" project. The project involved the modernization and infrastructure development of a railroad route starting in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, and traveling through central and northwestern China to Urumqi, Xinjiang, to the Alataw Pass into Kazakhstan. From that point, the railroad links to some of routes that end in Rotterdam.

China also has established rail links between seaports and interior export-processing zones. For example, in 2004 Chengdu in Sichuan was linked to the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in coastal Guangdong; exports clear customs in Chengdu and are shipped twice daily by rail to the seaport at Shenzhen for fast delivery.

Tibet A section of the Qingzang railway has been completed from Golmud to Lhasa. The section from Xining to Golmud in Qinghai opened to traffic in 1984. The railway's highest point, the Tanggula Mountain Pass, is 5,072 m above sea level, making it the highest railway in the world. More than , or over four-fifths of the railway, is at an altitude of more than 4,000 m, and over half of it was laid on frozen earth. Because of the high altitudes, carriages are supplied with supplemental oxygen.

Linking Lhasa and Shigatse together in Tibet, the construction of a extension line of the Qingzang railway started in 2009 with completion expected by 2014.

High-speed rail

The high-speed service is mainly operated by China Railway High-speed. HSR developed rapidly in China over the past 15 years thanks to generous funding from the Chinese government. With ridership exceeding 1.44 billion in 2016, China's HSR service was the most heavily used in the world. In 2016, the network is the longest in the world and accounted for about two-thirds of the world's high-speed rail tracks and operated with 2,595 high-speed trains, accounting for about 60 percent of all global high-speed trains.

Maglev

China also has the world's first commercial high-speed maglev (magnetic levitation) service, Shanghai Maglev Train (the first maglev service opened at Birmingham International Airport, United Kingdom, in 1984; however, it was not high-speed). The Chinese project, a Sino-German joint venture, was a 38-km-long route between downtown Shanghai and the Pudong airport that opened in 2003. The project cost US$1.2 billion. Low speed commuter maglevs using ingenious technology have opened in Changsha (Changsha Maglev) and Beijing (Line S1, Beijing Subway).

In January 2021 a prototype for a new high-speed maglev train capable of was unveiled. Developed by Southwest Jiaotong University near Chengdu, Professor He Chuan, vice president of the university, told reporters that the train is scheduled to be operational within 3–10 years. In July 2021 the CRRC unveiled a four-car maglev train. Long test tracks are being developed to test the vehicles.

Railway links with adjoining countries The two railway links China have with a neighboring country that does not have a break of gauge is with North Korea and Vietnam. China also has links with Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, which all use the gauge, and with Vietnam, where the gauge is still in use. The Trans-Siberian Railway, which crosses Russia, has a branch that sweeps down from Ulan-Ude, across Mongolia, and on to Beijing.

China does not have a direct rail link with Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan or Tajikistan, but is currently planning links with Laos and India (via Myanmar).

Variable-gauge-axle trains are sometimes used to overcome the break of gauge with neighboring countries. The mainland is also linked to Hong Kong, but not with Macau, although a Macau link is planned.

Urban Rail

Rapid Transit

As of 2025, there are at least 50 rapid transit systems in mainland China. While it is difficult to gauge the number of systems and lines under construction or being planned at any given time, the rapid development of mass rapid transit in China suggests that new metro systems, lines, and extensions are constantly emerging and being rapidly developed. Today, China boasts nine of the world's ten longest metro systems. Furthermore, of the 50 longest metro systems in the world, 26 are in mainland China; Hong Kong and Taipei also make the list. The Shanghai Metro only started operating in 1993 and has since expanded to be the world's longest or second-longest subway system, trading places only with the Beijing Subway. In Mainland China, 23 urban rail lines are expected to start construction in 2025.

Light Rail/Tram Several cities in China had tram systems during the 20th century; however, by the end of the century, only Dalian, Hong Kong and Changchun remained. Since 2010, then new tram systems opened in Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Suzhou, Zhuhai, and Huai'an.

In 2016 a Chinese firm developed the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit system which has been described as a crossover between a train, a bus and a tram and is commonly called a "trackless tram". As of 2021 the system has four lines in operation and is being considered for a number of other locations around the country.

Monorail