At approximately 10:00 AM on December 26, 2025, as a "Fuxing" smart EMU train departed from Yan'an Station, it marked the official commencement of operations for the Xi'an to Yan'an High-Speed Railway (hereafter referred to as the Xi-Yan HSR). This milestone signifies that China's operational high-speed rail network has surpassed 50,000 kilometers, firmly securing its position as the world's largest. From enabling Yanbian seafood to achieve "same-day delivery" to increasing the transportation efficiency of Luochuan apples by 50%, and from the booming ice and snow tourism in the Northeast to the "one-hour living circle" in the Greater Bay Area, these steel arteries continuously inject robust momentum into regional coordinated development and the unleashing of domestic demand. The 50,000-kilometer network connects points into lines and weaves lines into a web, where the flow of people, goods, information, and capital is intricately intertwined, with high-speed rail transforming China on an unprecedented scale and depth.
This figure not only etches the glorious achievements of the past but also opens a new starting point for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period. The beginning shapes the overall situation; the start determines the subsequent course. In 2026, railway authorities will drive new achievements in accelerating the construction of world-class railway enterprises, aiming for a successful start to the "15th Five-Year Plan" and contributing greater strength to the modernization of the Chinese style. Looking towards 2030, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as China State Railway Group) set a new target of 60,000 kilometers at its annual work conference earlier this year, pledging to continuously consolidate its world-leading advantage and provide crucial support for high-quality development.
The 50,000-kilometer mark represents a journey of striving for technological self-reliance and strength. Evolving from catching up to leading the pack, China's high-speed rail has continuously achieved breakthroughs in key core technologies, establishing an international benchmark. It has overcome construction challenges, such as the Pingtan Strait Road-Rail Bridge spanning the "forbidden zone for bridge building" to become the world's longest cross-strait road-rail bridge; conquered engineering bottlenecks, like the new Badaling Tunnel on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR passing 102 meters underground to create the world's most structurally complex and deepest underground HSR station; and broken through technical barriers, exemplified by the Shenyang-Baishan HSR's pioneering use of flash butt welding for turnouts, replacing traditional thermite welding to enhance stability and mechanical performance. From the Hexie Hao to the Fuxing Hao, and from introduction, digestion, and absorption to comprehensive independent innovation, China's high-speed rail has charted a unique path of technological breakthrough.
At the end of 2012, the development of the Fuxing Hao China-standard EMU was initiated. After five years of intensive effort, China Railway successfully mastered key core technologies including the carbody, bogie, traction, braking, and network systems. In 2017, the Fuxing Hao made a stunning debut, with its overall design and critical technologies entirely independently researched and developed. In the realm of setting rules for the world's high-speed rail, China has achieved a remarkable transformation from follower to leading player. Data released by China State Railway Group at the end of 2025 shows that a Fuxing Hao EMU operating at 350 km/h comprises over 40,000 components, and among the 254 important standards it adopts, Chinese standards account for 84%.
"China State Railway Group took the lead in establishing the Railway Science and Technology Innovation Alliance, broadly uniting superior scientific research forces across society, actively cultivating new quality productive forces in railways, promoting the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, continuously enhancing the self-reliance and self-improvement capability of railway technology," a representative from China State Railway Group stated. "This has resulted in a large number of scientific and technological innovation achievements represented by the Fuxing Hao EMU and established a complete high-speed rail technology system covering the three major fields of HSR engineering construction, equipment manufacturing, and operation management, setting an international benchmark for HSR technology."
Tang Yunpeng, Director of the Technical Support Center at the Shenyang EMU Depot, was one of the first batch of EMU maintenance personnel for China's high-speed rail. In 2007, when the CRH5 EMU introduced from France was put into operation, the technical documentation provided by the foreign company and after-sales maintenance personnel was very basic, with even fundamental schematic diagrams withheld. Faced with such technological monopoly, Tang Yunpeng resolved to strive for excellence for Chinese railways. With perseverance, he taught himself, consulting foreign language dictionaries and translation software to translate and study thousands of professional terms in English and Italian. Nearly a thousand technical documents and books worth nearly ten thousand yuan occupied an entire wall of his bedroom. He systematically conquered every aspect, from carbody structure and electrical principles to common faults and maintenance procedures. Ultimately, he comprehensively mastered the maintenance technology for the CRH5 EMU, earning the respect of foreign experts.
On the eve of the Harbin-Dalian HSR opening in 2012, the domestically developed CRH380B EMU, adapted for severe cold regions, was allocated. Confronted with the new model and technology, Tang Yunpeng pored over materials, studied principles, checked drawings, and compared data, mastering the maintenance techniques in the shortest possible time. In 2015, the "Yunpeng Studio" was officially established at the Shenyang EMU Depot. Under Tang's leadership, the studio successively completed technical innovations for 9 systems and 79 improvement projects, including the PIS system and network modules, and independently developed 69 types of tools and equipment, saving the enterprise over 11 million yuan annually. A technological achievement developed by the studio, "Application of Irreversible Temperature-Change Coating for Monitoring EMU Running Gear Equipment," obtained a national patent. When asked how he maintains his passion for innovation, Tang Yunpeng reflected, "On the day the Harbin-Dalian HSR opened in 2012, I stood in the snow watching the train pass by and suddenly understood that we are not just repairing trains, but also upholding the dignity of 'Made in China'."
The 50,000-kilometer network continuously infuses new动能 into regional economic and social development. High-speed rail shortens not just geographical distances but, with its ever-expanding network scale and iteratively upgraded service quality, accelerates the efficient flow of factors like talent, capital, and information. This drives industrial agglomeration and economic radiation, promoting a more balanced distribution of economic and social development benefits across regions. In November 2025, on the platform of Hunchun Station in the early morning, China Railway Express staff were neatly loading crates of live king crabs into reserved carriages of a high-speed train. These Russian seafood products, entering via the Hunchun port, would arrive at Beijing Chaoyang Station within 8 hours aboard the EMU train, reaching consumers' tables on the same day. Over the past decade, the "golden transportation network" woven by three HSR lines—the Changchun-Hunchun intercity railway opening in 2015, the Dunhua-Baishan HSR in 2021, and the Shenyang-Baishan HSR in 2025—has fundamentally freed Yanbian specialties from the constraints of short shelf life and limited transport range, propelling the rapid development of border region agriculture.
A representative from China Railway Shenyang Group Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Shenyang Railway Bureau) noted that before 2015, specialty foods like Yanbian kimchi and glutinous rice cakes primarily relied on road transport, which took over three days and suffered from spoilage rates as high as 20% due to a lack of temperature control. After the HSR opened, railway authorities quickly launched high-speed rail express services at stations like Hunchun and Yanji West, leveraging the "same-day delivery" timeliness advantage to reduce the spoilage rate of specialties to below 5%. High-speed rail brings not only improved transport efficiency but also a reshaping of Yanbian's agricultural industry structure. The Shenyang Railway Bureau representative explained that during the 2025 summer transport period, the Changbai Mountain scenic area received over 20,000 visitors daily on average, most arriving via HSR. Following the opening of the Shenyang-Baishan HSR, Yanbian blueberries became popular souvenirs among tourists, and the external sales of agricultural specialties along the line boosted farmers' incomes. In Fangchuan Village, Jingxin Town, Hunchun, the influx of tourists brought by the HSR has transformed idle farmhouses into boutique homestays, enabling villagers to achieve prosperity "right at their doorstep" by selling local agricultural products. Relying on the "port + HSR + industry" model, Yanbian agricultural products are reaching international markets via the Hunchun port, being exported to places like Japan and South Korea.
In Luochuan, Shaanxi, known as the "hometown of apples," inconvenient transportation had long constrained the development of the northern Shaanxi apple industry. With the opening of the Xi-Yan HSR, the adoption of an "HSR + freight dedicated train" transport model has increased the transportation efficiency of Luochuan apples by 50%. In December 2025, inside Shaanxi Top Fruit Technology Co., Ltd. in Luochuan County, a rich apple fragrance filled the air as workers busily packed boxes. "After the HSR opened, our logistics efficiency has significantly improved. Apples processed in the workshop in the morning can be delivered to consumers within the province in the afternoon," explained Zhao Fengfeng, the company's responsible person. "During the apple harvest season, tourists can arrive in Luochuan in the morning for breakfast, go fruit picking in the orchards at noon, and be back home by evening—it's incredibly convenient. The HSR opening also aids in talent recruitment and external exchanges for our company. Previously, when inviting clients for visits and negotiations, we had to arrange their arrival at Xi'an HSR station first and then provide dedicated transport. Now, with an HSR station right at our doorstep, interactions with clients are much more convenient."
High-speed rail carries the aspirations of people along its routes for better travel and new expectations for sharing in the fruits of railway modernization. At the end of 2025, with the opening of the Xi-Yan HSR, Lu Zengren, a villager in his seventies from Yaocun, Chengguan Street, Fuping County, was very excited. He recalled that in his youth, traveling from Fuping to Xi'an for work meant setting out on foot at 2 or 3 AM, a journey of about 15 hours, only reaching Xi'an by dusk. Now, with the Xi-Yan HSR, the fastest train takes just 19 minutes to reach Xi'an—something previously unimaginable. A representative from China State Railway Group stated that in recent years, high-speed rail has connected points into lines and woven lines into a network, significantly strengthening the radiation and driving effect of central cities on surrounding areas. It actively serves the implementation of major national strategies like the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This has promoted the optimal allocation and agglomerated development of various production and consumption factors along the routes, tightened economic exchanges and industrial synergy between regions, and strongly supported the large-scale development of western China in the new era, the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China, the accelerated rise of central China, and the pioneering development of the eastern region. Strengthening railway infrastructure construction in old revolutionary base areas, ethnic regions, border areas, and former poverty-stricken areas, the completion and operation of a batch of HSR projects in central and western China have enhanced connectivity between these regions and the outside world, providing acceleration for comprehensive rural revitalization and injecting new动能.
The 50,000-kilometer mark is a new scale on which China's high-speed rail network spreads across the vast land. This high-speed flowing "national name card" not only reshapes spatial and temporal patterns but also极大地激发了 the potential of the domestic ultra-large-scale market. Annual passenger traffic exceeding 3 billion人次 has spurred the vigorous development of service industries like tourism, catering, and logistics. The head of a travel agency in Shenyang noted that previously, constrained by transportation limitations, tourists visiting Changbai Mountain were mostly limited to core scenic areas like the North Slope or West Slope separately, with stays typically lasting only one day. Now, leveraging the convenience of HSR, tourists can easily combine visits to the North Slope, West Slope, and surrounding attractions in Yanji and Hunchun, forming in-depth tour itineraries spanning 2 or 3 days. Service industries such as catering, accommodation, and retail along HSR lines have experienced explosive growth. In Erdaobaihe Town at the foot of Changbai Mountain, winters used to be a low season due to harsh weather and inconvenient transport, with many local homestays and restaurants seeing few customers. However, the ice and snow tourism boom fueled by HSR has completely reversed this situation, making winter tourism in Erdaobaihe Town exceptionally popular. "Previously, the winter occupancy rate for homestays was only around 30%, and many peers would close for the season. It's different now; from November onwards, homestays are basically fully booked, and on weekends, it's hard to find a room," said a relevant person from the Erdaobaihe Town Homestay Association.
The compression of time and space brings not only convenience but also a great enrichment of lifestyle choices and an infinite extension of consumption scenarios. New formats like "weekend trips," "cross-city commuting," and "high-speed rail express" have emerged. Ms. Peng, a lawyer living in San Po Kong, Hong Kong, takes the HSR to mainland China at least once or twice a month. "The HSR is convenient, fast, affordable, and offers a very comfortable ride," Ms. Peng stated. The opening of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link has created a "one-hour living circle" in the Greater Bay Area, leading many Hong Kong residents to choose taking the HSR to Shenzhen on weekends for dining and shopping. A representative from China State Railway Group emphasized that HSR construction has a long industrial chain and wide辐射面, effectively driving the development of upstream and downstream related industries such as construction, metallurgy, manufacturing, power, information technology, computers, and precision instruments. It injects strong momentum into the comprehensive expansion of domestic demand and the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure. The high-speed rail equipment manufacturing industry has become a strategic emerging industry in China with full industrial chain international competitive advantage.
Data released by China State Railway Group at the end of 2025 shows that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, as the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" HSR network became increasingly complete, its accessibility and coverage continuously expanded. A 1 to 2-hour交通圈 has formed within city clusters within a 500 km radius, enabling public transport-like travel. Major cities across regions within 1000 km are reachable within 4 hours, allowing for same-day return trips. Cross-regional major cities within 2000 km are reachable within 8 hours, enabling morning departure and evening arrival. By efficiently connecting the flow of people, information, and capital between cities, HSR promotes resource integration and complementary advantages, generating a significant "same-city effect," accelerating the development of city clusters, and forming multiple economic corridors strung together by HSR lines. The data further indicates that HSR currently covers 97% of Chinese cities with an urban population exceeding 500,000. Its operational mileage ranks first in the world, exceeding the total HSR mileage of all other countries combined. High-speed rail handles 80% of China's railway passenger traffic and 69% of passenger turnover, making it the mainstay of medium and long-distance passenger transport.
The 50,000-kilometer achievement is both a result and a new starting point. The year 2026 marks the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, making a successful start crucial. At the National Railway Work Conference held on January 4, 2026, China State Railway Group proposed that 2026 should focus on deepening railway institutional reforms, better balancing development and security, promoting full and strict Party discipline to greater depths, driving new achievements in accelerating the construction of world-class railway enterprises, achieving a successful start to the "15th Five-Year Plan," and contributing greater strength to the modernization of the Chinese style. Information released at the conference indicated that by 2030, the national HSR mileage is expected to reach around 60,000 kilometers. Strategic backbone corridors will be comprehensively strengthened, the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" HSR system will form a mature network, and regional interconnectivity levels will be significantly enhanced.
In June 2025, the CR450 EMU, dubbed the "world's fastest high-speed train," captured global attention when two prototype trains achieved new records on the Wuhan-Yichang section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu HSR along the Yangtze River: a single train speed of 453 km/h and a relative passing speed of 896 km/h. This also signifies that Chinese HSR is advancing towards even higher speeds. A representative from China State Railway Group stated that this marks the world's first establishment of a top-level indicator system for 400 km/h EMUs and the development of a systems engineering methodology for the R&D of 400 km/h high-speed trains, further consolidating and expanding China's world-leading advantage in HSR. A representative from CRRC Corporation Limited mentioned that since the CR450 prototypes rolled off the production line at the end of 2024, they have undergone multiple rounds of testing with all indicators meeting requirements. However, according to regulations, they must complete an operational assessment after running 600,000 kilometers. The operational assessment for the CR450 EMU is currently progressing in an orderly manner. "The operating speed, braking distance, energy consumption indicators, and noise levels of the CR450 EMU have all reached world-leading standards. Moreover, with an operating speed of 400 km/h, the related technologies have entered uncharted territory," the CRRC representative said. The successful development of the CR450 EMU further promotes the integration of the "innovation chain" and "industrial chain" among CRRC's over 18,000 major suppliers and 6,900 core suppliers, creating a new pattern for HSR technology development and continuously releasing the红利 of the HSR network.
The accumulation of 400 km/h high-speed train technology provides a solid guarantee for a successful start to the "15th Five-Year Plan" and gathers more confidence for solidifying the international benchmark status of China's HSR technology in the future. The China State Railway Group representative stated that in 2026, the railway department will complete the operational assessment and final design approval for the CR450 EMU, research and formulate test plans for lines like the Chengdu-Chongqing Middle Line, advance the experimental verification of key technological achievements for 400 km/h HSR infrastructure, and conduct research on adaptability technologies for upgrading existing lines. The representative elaborated on the future development goals for Chinese railways during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period: China's overall railway technology level will maintain world leadership; the scientific and technological innovation system will be more perfected; the international benchmark status of HSR technology will be more稳固; breakthroughs will continue in core technologies in key fields; the "AI+" initiative will achieve landmark results; the application level of digital and intelligent technologies will be significantly enhanced; innovation capability will be continuously strengthened; new quality productive forces will accelerate development; and the international competitiveness and influence of Chinese railways will be显著提升. In the future, China State Railway Group will accelerate the construction of a more developed and完善的 HSR network, promoting the development of HSR towards greater safety, higher speed, enhanced intelligence, improved comfort, and increased environmental friendliness. This will better serve and support the modernization of the Chinese style and contribute Chinese strength to world railway development.
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