China adds 1,625 km of new rail lines amid push to build modern railway infrastructure

BEIJING -- China put a total of 1,625 kilometers of new railway lines into operation in the first three quarters of 2026 as the country, home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, speeds up efforts to build a modern railway infrastructure system.

During the period, the railway sector completed fixed-asset investment of 601.2 billion yuan (about $89 billion), up 1.3 percent year on year, according to data from the China State Railway Group Co, Ltd. (China Railway).

With the newly opened lines and continuing investment, the overall efficiency of the railway network has continued to improve and new momentum has been injected into economic and social development, the company said.

During the period, a number of new lines and stations were put into operation. On Sept 28 this year, China opened four high-speed rail sections, connecting Xiongan in North China's Hebei province with Shangqiu in Henan province in Central China, Xi'an with Ankang in Shaanxi province in Northwest China, Yichang with Xingshan in Central China's Hubei province, and Harbin with Yichun in Heilongjiang province in the country's northeast.

"These projects have further optimized regional railway networks, improved overall transport efficiency, and made travel more convenient for people along the routes," the company said, adding that they have also driven industrial upgrading and resource development, becoming a new engine for high-quality regional economic and social development.

By the end of 2025, the country's total operating railway mileage had reached 165,000 km, which included more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail.

China's high-speed rail network is projected to hit 70,000 km by 2035, featuring 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 across the country.

Continued investment in the sector reflects the growing demand for railway travel in the world's second-largest economy.

Railway passenger trips hit a record high in the first three quarters in the country, totaling 3.71 billion passenger trips in the period, up 4.8 percent year on year, China Railway data showed.

Earlier this month, the National Railway Administration released a plan that proposes to basically establish a science and technology innovation system that leads railway modernization by 2030.

The plan envisions no fewer than 20 typical application scenarios or demonstration projects in areas such as the 400 km/h high-speed train operating system. Regarding technical equipment, it proposes to advance research on 600 km/h high-speed maglev technology as well as testing and verification of key technologies for domestic production.