Photo: cnsphoto

A section of the Beijing-Xiong'an-Shangqiu High-speed Railway, which connects the Xiong'an New Area in North China's Hebei Province with Shangqiu in Central China's Henan Province, has started construction on Thursday, China Railway Group announced, marking the start of another key project related to Xiong'an, which is said to be China's "city of the future." 

The 552-kilometer-long railway section has a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour and is scheduled to finish within four years. The line also travels through East China's Shandong Province. An inauguration ceremony was held simultaneously on Thursday in Xiong'an New Area, Liaocheng in Shandong, and Puyang in Henan.  

The project is expected to have a total investment of 82.71 billion yuan ($11.49 billion). About 94 percent of the railway section is composed of rail bridges. There are 16 rail stations along the route. Among them, three existing rail stations will be renovated and expanded, while another 11 new stations will be built, according to China Railway. 

The section's construction will further optimize China's railway network, making it easier for local residents to travel. It also carries significance in serving the construction and development of the Xiong'an New Area - a model for China's urban high-quality development, and facilitating the coordinated development of Jing-jin-ji area, China Railway said. 

The Beijing-Xiong'an-Shangqiu High-speed Railway connects Beijing's Fengtai district with Xiong'an and Shangqiu, and is an important component of the "Beijing-Hong Kong (Taipei) High-speed Railway," which is a part of the national "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed railway network plan announced in 2016.

In November 2020, the feasibility study report of the Xiong'an-Shangqiu section was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's economic planner, marking the official entry into the implementation stage of the project. The planned long-term annual transportation capacity of the section is 50 million people per year, according to the NDRC.

According to media reports, the section connecting Beijing with Xiong'an is also being planned. It will be the second rail route to connect the two cities, adding the existing Beijing-Xiong'an intercity railway, which was put into operation in 2020. 

To give the full play of the role of railway investment in stabilizing economic fundamentals, another four railway projects will also start building in September in addition to the new Xiong'an-Shangqiu section, according to China Railway. And it is expected that another 20 railway projects, including a high-speed railway connecting Xiong'an with Xinzhou, North China's Shanxi Province, will also start construction this year. 

The 25 projects represent a combined investment of 1.2 trillion yuan, and will increase China's rail line length by 5,387 kilometers.

Global Times