By the end of 2018, China's high-speed rail operating mileage reached over 29,000 kilometers, accounting for more than two-thirds of the world's total. China's high-speed rail EMUs have cumulatively transported over 9 billion passengers, and China's high-speed rail leads the world in safety, reliability, and transport efficiency.

　　Steady Progress in Network Construction

　　“I have been to Huangshan many times. The earliest trip was by ‘bus plus ferry’, which took at least two days for a round trip. After I started working, I drove to Huangshan, and it took five or six hours one way,” recalled Mr. Liu, a Shanghai resident, about his trips to Huangshan. At the end of 2018, the Hangzhou-Huangshan section of the Hangzhou-Nanchang high-speed railway opened, and Mr. Liu made the same journey again. This time, the travel time was significantly shortened to two and a half hours.

　　At the end of 2018, 10 new railway lines were opened intensively. Together with lines opened earlier, 4,683 kilometers of new railway lines were put into operation in 2018, including 4,100 kilometers of high-speed rail. The operation of many new lines has greatly reduced passenger train travel times and provided strong support for improving railway transport capacity.

　　In 2018, the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway was particularly noteworthy. This new line, opened on September 23, marked Hong Kong's official connection to the national high-speed rail network. It not only made the “one-hour living circle” of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area a reality but also, through connected high-speed rail networks such as the Wuhan-Guangzhou, Guiyang-Guangzhou, Nanning-Guangzhou, and Xiamen-Shenzhen lines, expanded the “four-hour tourism circle” between Hong Kong and mainland cities.

　　The networked operation of high-speed rail has shortened distances in time and space, promoted the rapid exchange of people, goods, information, and capital, driven the growth of tourism and other industries along the lines, and promoted coordinated regional economic development.

　　The Fuxing Family Continues to Grow

　　At the end of 2018, a group of new members of the “Fuxing” family made a concentrated appearance. Several new Fuxing EMU models were publicly unveiled for the first time and became internet sensations.

　　The history of China's high-speed rail development is a history of independent innovation. In 2018, the 8-car short-formation Fuxing EMUs at a speed of 350 km/h operated well, and the development of the Fuxing family series of EMU products was actively advanced. In July, 16-car long-formation Fuxing EMUs were put into operation on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. Meanwhile, the 250 km/h Fuxing EMU rolled off the production line and began type tests, and is expected to be put into operation before the end of 2019.

　　In September 2018, the Fuxing achieved automatic driving at a speed of 350 km/h. At the same time, comprehensive tests of key intelligent high-speed rail technologies were successfully carried out on the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, and many test results are being applied to the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway and the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway and the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway will be the world's first intelligent high-speed railways.

　　Continuous Improvement in Service Quality

　　In November 2018, the Hainan Island Ring high-speed railway launched a pilot electronic ticket service. In 2019, this measure will be promoted across the country's high-speed rail, making ticket purchase, ticket inspection, and boarding more convenient and faster for passengers.

　　The introduction of electronic tickets is a microcosm of the railway sector's efforts to improve passenger transport quality. Ordering meals on high-speed trains is becoming more convenient. In 2018, the railway sector upgraded its internet meal ordering service, shortening the meal reservation deadline from 2 hours to 1 hour before departure. The sanitary environment is getting better. In 2018, China Railway Corporation comprehensively promoted the “Toilet Revolution”, implemented the “dual director system” for toilets, and further improved the passenger environment. Carrying luggage is becoming more convenient. In 2018, the railway sector partnered with SF Express to launch the “High-speed Rail Handy Shipping” consignment service, helping passengers send home items that are inconvenient to carry on board.