To Get Rich, Build Roads First: Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway Accelerates City Circle Development
2016-11-04
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On November 2, a CRH2 EMU ran back and forth between Hankou Station and Xiaogan East Station on the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway, marking the entry of the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway into the trial operation stage. After the "trial run and break-in," the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway will officially begin passenger service, greatly driving the "acceleration" of the Wuhan metropolitan area's development.
People often say that railways are the main arteries of the national economy. In a place where roads are blocked, it is like blood vessels not flowing smoothly, unable to form a virtuous cycle, and it is difficult for the economy to develop rapidly. Historical and practical experience tells us that guarding mountains of gold and silver does not necessarily mean living a good life. Only by learning to share and achieve win-win results can we live a happy life. As the saying goes, "To get rich, build roads first." When roads are open, travel becomes more convenient, our exchanges increase, and we can each get what we need and develop together. This is also the meaning of the "Belt and Road" initiative.
In recent years, Hubei has been committed to building the "8+1 Wuhan Metropolitan Area," planning to successively build dedicated intercity railway lines from Wuhan to Huangshi, Ezhou, Xishui, Xianning, Xiaogan, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Tianmen and other cities by 2017, forming a metropolitan area rail transit network, promoting regional connections and accelerating the province's economic development. The Wuhan Metropolitan Area is not only the core region of Hubei's economic development, but also a solid foundation for Wuhan's return to national central city status. As one of the largest city clusters in central China, its development will effectively drive the rise of central China.
Prior to this, three intercity railways—Wuhan-Xianning, Wuhan-Huangshi and Wuhan-Huanggang—had already been put into operation. After the trial operation of the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway is completed, it will be officially opened after approval through relevant procedures, which will further shrink the distances within the Wuhan Metropolitan Area and make travel more convenient for people in the area. In the near future, four intercity railways extending from the three railway stations of Wuchang, Wuhan and Hankou will lead the Wuhan Metropolitan Area into the "ring hub" era and play a major role in promoting Hubei's economic and social development.
After the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway opens, it is also expected to become the fastest option for getting to Tianhe Airport. It is reported that after it opens to traffic in the future, the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway will have two operating modes: large-station express trains and all-station stopping trains. Among them, the large-station express trains will stop only at four stations along the line: Hankou, Tianhe Airport, Huaiyin and Xiaogan East. Referring to the currently operating Wuhan-Xianning Intercity Railway, the fastest journey from Wuhan to Xiaogan is expected to be reached in 35 minutes. Calculated by mileage, the time from Hankou Railway Station to the airport can also be compressed to just over ten minutes. Taking the intercity EMU from Wuhan to Xiaogan, you arrive in the blink of an eye, bringing a sense of closeness to citizens' travel. At the same time, the opening of the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway will push Wuhan further toward becoming a first-tier city nationwide. At present, the Wuhan-Shiyan high-speed railway under construction leads westward from Xiaogan East Station of the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway all the way to Shiyan. By then, the time from Wuhan to Shiyan will be shortened to within 2 hours, to Xiangyang to 1 hour, and to Suizhou to only half an hour, realizing the connection between the "Wuhan Metropolitan Area" and the "Xiangyang-Shiyan-Suizhou City Cluster." At the same time, as an important part of the Wuhan-Xi'an national high-speed railway, the Wuhan-Shiyan high-speed railway is not only an important regional rapid railway in Hubei Province connecting Wuhan, Xiangyang, Shiyan and Suizhou, but will also be a major national strategic corridor linking central China with the northwest region and the southeast coast.
As the fourth intercity railway in Hubei Province to open and operate, the Wuhan-Xiaogan Intercity Railway is of great significance. While promoting Hubei's economic and social development, it will also drive the construction of the "8+1 Wuhan Metropolitan Area" onto the "fast track."
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