China's high-speed rail network is by far the longest in the world. As of December 2025, it extends to 31 of the country's 34 provincial-level administrative divisions and exceeds in total length, accounting for about two-thirds of the world's high-speed rail tracks in commercial service.(Chinese) 全国高铁运营里程已超过2.2万公里 2017-01-03 Over the past decade, China's high-speed rail network grew rapidly according to ambitious railway plans issued by the State. The "Mid- to Long-Term Railway Network Plan" ("Railway Network Plan") approved by the State Council in 2004 called for of passenger-dedicated HSR lines running train at speeds of at least by 2020.(Chinese) 2004年国家《中长期铁路网规划》内容简介 2014-05-27; accessed 2017-07-16 The 2008 Revisions to the Railway Network Plan increased the year 2020 passenger-dedicated HSR network target length to and removed the 200 km/h speed standard to allow new lines to be built to standards that can accommodate faster trains.
Overview In 2008, the Ministry of Railways announced plans to build of high-speed railways with trains reaching normal speeds of 350 km/h.China's amazing new bullet train CNN Money August 6, 2009China starts work on Beijing-Shanghai express railway Xinhua 2008-04-18 China invested $50 billion on its high-speed rail system in 2009 and the total construction cost of the high-speed rail system is $300 billion. The main operator of regular high-speed train services is China Railway High-Speed (CRH).
China's conventional high-speed railway network is made up of four components:
a national grid of mostly passenger dedicated HSR lines (PDLs), other regional HSRs connecting major cities, certain regional "intercity" HSR lines, and other newly built or upgraded conventional rail lines, mostly in western China, that can carry high-speed passenger and freight trains.
National High Speed Rail Grid
"Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" network
The centerpiece of the MOR's expansion into high-speed rail is a national high-speed rail grid that is overlaid onto the existing railway network. The 2004 Railway Network Plan called for four lines running north-south (verticals) and four lines running east-west (horizontals) by the year 2020 that would connect population centers in economically developed regions of the country. The 2008 Revisions to the Railway Network Plan extended the length of the Beijing-Shenzhen HSR to Hong Kong and the Shanghai-Changsha HSR to Kunming. Each line in the 4+4 national HSR grid is over 1,400 km in length, except the Qingdao-Taiyuan Line which is 873 km in length. Apart from the Hangzhou–Shenzhen HSR (Ningbo-Shenzhen section) and Shanghai–Chengdu HSR (Nanjing-Chengdu section), which were the first railways to connect those cities and carry both passenger and freight, the other six lines are all passenger-dedicated lines. With the exception of the Yichang-Chengdu section of the Shanghai-Chengdu HSR with speed limits of , all other lines in the 4+4 national grid were built to accommodate trains at speeds of .
With the completion of the Beijing–Shenyang high-speed railway, this backbone network was fully completed in January 2021.
Completed lines Partially completed lines.
Four North-South HSR corridors and constituent lines
+ Beijing–Harbin high-speed railway - 350 km/h - 1,700 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateBeijing–Harbin(Jingha HSR)HSR Corridor of Northeast China35017002007-08-232021-01-22Beijing–Shenyang(Jingshen high-speed railway)HSR from Beijing to Shenyang via Chengde, Fuxin and Liaoning Chaoyang3506842014-02-282018-12-29 (Chengde South–Shenyang section)2021-01-22 (Beijing Chaoyang–Chengde South section)Harbin–Dalian(Hada HSR)HSR from Harbin to Dalian via Shenyang & Changchun3509042007-08-232012-12-01Panjin–Yingkou(Panying HSR)Connects Yingkou on Harbin–Dalian HSR with Panjin on Qinhuangdao-Shenyang HSR350892009-05-312013-09-12
+ Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway - 380 km/h - 1,433 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateBeijing–Shanghai(Jinghu HSR)HSR Corridor of East China38014332008-01-082012-10-16Beijing–Shanghai(Jinghu HSR)HSR from Beijing to Shanghai via Tianjin, Jinan, Xuzhou, Bengbu and Nanjing38013022008-04-182011-06-30Hefei–Bengbu(Hebeng HSR)Spur off Jinghu HSR from Bengbu to Hefei3801312008-01-082012-10-16
+ Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 2,229 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateBeijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong(Jingguangshengang HSR)HSR Corridor connecting North with South Central China35022292005-09-012018-09-23Beijing–Shijiazhuang(Jingshi HSR)HSR from Beijing to Shijiazhuang3502812008-10-082012-12-26Shijiazhuang–Wuhan(Shiwu HSR)HSR from Shijiazhuang to Zhengzhou3508382008-10-152012-12-26HSR from Zhengzhou to Wuhan2012-09-28Wuhan–Guangzhou(Wuguang HSR)HSR from Wuhan to Guangzhou via Changsha3509682005-09-012009-12-262010-01-30Guangzhou–Shenzhen(Guangshengang XRL)Mainland section of the Express Rail Link. HSR from Guangzhou to Shenzhen North Railway Station.3501162008-08-202011-12-26Mainland section of the Express Rail Link. HSR from Shenzhen North to the border of Hong Kong.2015-12-30Shenzhen–Hong Kong(Guangshengang XRL)Hong Kong section of the Express Rail Link. HSR from the border of Shenzhen to Hong Kong.2002620102018-09-23
+ Hangzhou–Fuzhou–Shenzhen High-Speed Railway - 350–250 km/h - 1,495 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateHangzhou–Fuzhou–Shenzhen(Hangfushen PDL)PDL from Hangzhou to Shenzhen, with plans for a rail bridge across the Hangzhou Bay by 2020.250-35014502005-08-012013-12-28Hangzhou–Ningbo(Hangyong PDL)HSR from Hangzhou to Ningbo3501522009-042013-07-01Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou(Yongtaiwen PFL)Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Zhejiang Province from Ningbo to Wenzhou via Taizhou.2502682005-10-272009-09-28Wenzhou–Fuzhou(Wenfu PFL)Mixed passenger & freight HSR line from Wenzhou to Fuzhou.2502982005-01-082009-09-28Fuzhou–Xiamen(Fuxia PFL) Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Fujian Province from Fuzhou to Xiamen via Putian & Quanzhou.2502752005-10-012010-04-26Xiamen–Shenzhen(Xiashen PFL) Mixed passenger & freight HSR line along the coast of Fujian and Guangdong from Xiamen to Shenzhen via Zhangzhou, Shantou & Huizhou.2505022007-11-232013-12-28
Four East-West HSR corridors and constituent lines
+ Qingdao–Taiyuan High-Speed Railway - 250 km/h - 873 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateQingdao–Taiyuan(Qingtai PDL)PDL of North China consisting of three segments connecting Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Jinan and Qingdao.250-3508172005-06-012018-12-26Qingdao–Jinan Passenger Railway(Jiaoji PDL)PDL connecting Qingdao and Jinan2503642007-01-282008-12-20Jinan–Shijiazhuang(Shijiazhuang–Jinan High-Speed Railway)PDL connecting Shijiazhuang & Jinan via Dezhou2503192014-03-162017-12-28Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan(Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan High-Speed Railway)PDL connecting Shijiazhuang & Taiyuan.2501902005-06-112009-04-01
+ Xuzhou–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway - 350 km/h - 1,363 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateXuzhou–Lanzhou(Xulan High-Speed Railway)HSR Corridor across the Yellow River Valley of central China, consisting of four segments connecting Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Baoji and Lanzhou.35013632005-06-012017-07-09Xuzhou–Zhengzhou(Zhengzhou–Xuzhou High-Speed Railway)HSR connecting Xuzhou & Zhengzhou3503572012-12-262016-09-10Zhengzhou–Xi'an(Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway)HSR connecting Zhengzhou & Xi'an3504552005-09-012010-02-06Xi'an–Baoji(Xi'an–Baoji High-Speed Railway)HSR connecting Xi'an & Baoji3501482009-11-222013-12-28Baoji–Lanzhou(Baoji–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway)HSR connecting Baoji & Lanzhou3504032012-10宝鸡至兰州铁路客运专线建设项目启动, Xinhua, 2012-10-21宝鸡至兰州客运专线陕西段工程开工建设, 2012-10-21宝鸡至兰州的客运专线昨天在榆中奠基 , 2012-10-272017-07-09
+ Shanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu High-Speed Railway - 350–200 km/h - 2,078 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen Date Shanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu(Huhanrong PDL)PDL through the Yangtze Valley, consisting of the Shanghai-Nanjing section of the Beijing–Shanghai HSR, and 7 mixed-use HSR segments connecting Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan, Yichang, Lichuan, Chongqing, Suining & Chengdu.350-20020782003-12-012014-7-1Shanghai–Nanjingshares track with Shanghai-Nanjing section of Beijing-Shanghai HSR3503012008-07-012010-07-01Nanjing–Hefei(Hening PFL)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Nanjing & Hefei3501662005-06-112008-04-19Hefei–Wuhan(Hewu PFL)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Hefei & Wuhan3503512005-08-012009-04-01Hankou (Wuhan)–Yichang(Hanyi R.R.)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Wuhan & Yichang2502932008-09-172012-07-01Yichang–Wanzhou(Yichang–Lichuan section of Yiwan R.R.)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Yichang & Lichuan2003772003-12-012014-7-1Lichuan–Chongqing(Yuli R.R.)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Lichuan & Chongqing2002642008-12-292013-12-28Chongqing–Suining(Suiyu R.R.)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Chongqing & Suining2001322009-01-182012-12-31Dazhou–Chengdu(Suining–Chengdu section of Dacheng R.R.)Mixed passenger & freight HSR connecting Suining & Chengdu.2001482005-052009-06-30
+ Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway - 350 km/h - 2,066 kmLine[corridor map] Route DescriptionDesignedSpeed(km/h)Length(km)ConstructionStart DateOpen DateShanghai–Kunming(Hukun HSR)HSR Corridor connecting East, Central and Southwest China. It consists of three sections connecting Shanghai, Hangzhou, Changsha and Kunming.35020662008-12-282016-12-28Shanghai–Hangzhou(Shanghai–Hangzhou high-speed railway)HSR connecting Shanghai Hongqiao & Hangzhou East.3501502009-02-262010-10-26Hangzhou–Changsha(Hangzhou–Changsha high-speed railway)HSR from Hangzhou to Nanchang3505822010-07-012014-12-10(Chinese) "沪昆高铁南昌至杭州段正式开通运营" Xinhua 2014-12-10HSR from Nanchang to Changsha3442009-02-262014-09-16Changsha–Kunming(Changsha–Kunming high-speed railway)HSR from Changsha to Guiyang3507022010-03-262015-6-18HSR from Guiyang to Kunming4732016-12-28
"Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" network
In 2016, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced the plans to extend the almost completed "Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" network to a new "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" network. The new network comprises eight north-south ("vertical") corridors and eight east-west ("horizontal") ones, almost doubling the route length.
A corridor may consist of two or more parallel lines that take different routes between the same cities, branch and connector lines, and in some cases, connecting lines and lower-speed lines. The Beijing-Shanghai HSR corridor, one of the verticals, comprises the preexisting Beijing-Shanghai HSR, which runs through Tianjin, Jinan, Bengbu, Nanjing, Wuxi and Suzhou, as well as a new high-speed passenger dedicated line from Beijing to Shanghai via Tianjin, Dongying, Weifang, Linyi, Huaian, Yangzhou, and Nantong, as well as HSRs connecting Nanjing, Hefei and Shanghai with Hangzhou. Some corridors consist of a single HSR line; the Shanghai-Kunming HSR corridor, one of the horizontals, is essentially the Shanghai–Kunming High-Speed Railway by another name.
The national HSR mainlines in the 8+8 corridor grid are generally electrified, double-tracked, passenger-dedicated HSR lines built to accommodate train speeds of 250–350 km/h, but corridors also make use of intercity and regional HSR lines with speeds of 200 km/h as well as certain regular speed railways. The Qingdao-Yinchuan corridor includes the Taiyuan–Zhongwei–Yinchuan Railway, which is partially single-track with speeds of only 160km/h.
Completed lines
Eight vertical lines