The Baoji-Lanzhou high-speed railway, opened on July 9, is an important part of China's "Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" high-speed rail network, which has now been initially completed. In the future, the network will be denser, achieving "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal." Let's take a look at when high-speed rail will reach your home.
"Four Vertical and Four Horizontal": Initially completed, two sections about to be connected
The four vertical lines include: Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway / Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway / Beijing-Harbin Passenger Dedicated Line / Southeast Coastal Passenger Dedicated Line
The four horizontal lines include: Xuzhou-Lanzhou Passenger Dedicated Line / Shanghai-Kunming Passenger Dedicated Line / Qingdao-Taiyuan Passenger Dedicated Line / Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line
With the opening of the Baoji-Lanzhou high-speed railway, among the "Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" lines, the vertical Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway and the horizontal Qingdao-Shijiazhuang high-speed railway are still under construction.
2025: High-speed rail mileage to double, forming "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" network
By the end of 2016, China's high-speed rail operating mileage had reached 22,000 kilometers, accounting for more than 60% of the world's total high-speed rail operating mileage. Plans issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments clearly state that by 2025, China's high-speed rail operating mileage will reach 38,000 kilometers, nearly double the current amount, and form an "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network.
"Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal": Denser network, extended distances
Compared with the original four vertical lines, the changes in the eight vertical high-speed railways are: the coastal corridor extends north from Shanghai to Dandong, Liaoning, and south from Shenzhen to Fangchenggang, Guangxi; the Beijing-Harbin and Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao corridors are connected north-south; the Beijing-Shanghai corridor adds a new route based on the existing Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, extending from the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway through Dongying, Weifang, Linyi, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and Nantong to Shanghai.
In addition to these changes on the original basis, several new planned lines have been added.
Among the eight horizontal lines, the four newly added ones from north to south are: the Suifenhe-Manzhouli corridor via Mudanjiang, Harbin, Qiqihar, and Hailar; the Beijing-Lanzhou corridor via Hohhot and Yinchuan; the Xiamen-Chongqing corridor via Longyan, Ganzhou, Changsha, and Zhangjiajie; and the Guangzhou-Kunming corridor via Nanning.