Recently, the 'Tender Announcement for Pre-station Engineering Construction of the New Yan'an-Yulin Railway' was released, marking the first new high-speed rail project to initiate construction bidding this year.

According to the plan, more than 10 high-speed rail projects are expected to start construction within the year, most of which are part of the national 'Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal' high-speed rail corridors; except for one project, all are designed for speeds of 350 kilometers per hour.

As usual, December is typically a peak period for concentrated railway construction starts. To ensure a smooth start by the end of December, preliminary design approvals must be completed by November at the latest, and construction bidding and tendering work must be carried out.

The projects expected to start are as follows (some projects may not meet the conditions for starting by the end of December due to progress delays):

1. Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou Corridor: Yan'an-Yulin High-Speed Railway

The new Yan'an-Yulin high-speed railway has a main line length of 240 kilometers, with an estimated total investment of about 39 billion yuan and a planned construction period of 4.5 years.

The entire line has 7 stations: Yan'an, Yan'an New District, Yanchuan, Qingjian North, Suide West, Mizhi North, and Yulin South.

Latest progress: The project's feasibility study was approved in early September this year, the preliminary design was approved on September 14, construction bidding was initiated on September 28, and construction will officially start in early December.

2. Beijing-Shanghai Second Corridor: Weifang-Suqian High-Speed Railway and Qingdao Connecting Line

These are bundled approval projects. The Weifang-Suqian high-speed railway has a main line length of 399 kilometers, including 325 kilometers in Shandong and 74 kilometers in Jiangsu. The total investment is 77.26 billion yuan, with a planned construction period of 4.5 years.

The entire line has 12 stations: Weifang North, Anqiu, Zhucheng West, Wulian North, Juxian Yishui, Yinan, Linyi North, Lanling, Tancheng West, Xinyi East, Suqian East, and Yanghe North (reserved).

The Qingdao connecting line has a main line length of 108.3 kilometers and 4 stations: Yanghekou, Qingdao West, Zhucheng South, and Wulian North. The total investment is 23.73 billion yuan.

Latest progress: The project's feasibility study was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at the end of May this year; construction drawing design and land use approval are being advanced across the line; the environmental impact assessment report is about to be submitted to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for review and approval, and the preliminary design is about to be approved.

3. Coastal Corridor: Zhangzhou-Shantou High-Speed Railway

The Zhangzhou-Shantou high-speed railway has a main line length of 174.68 kilometers, including 126.60 kilometers in Fujian Province and 48.08 kilometers in Guangdong Province. The estimated total investment is 38.9 billion yuan, with a planned construction period of 4 years.

The entire line has 6 stations: Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Dongshan, Zhao'an South, Raoping South, and Shantou, with efforts to add a station at Shantou East.

Latest progress: The NDRC approved the project's feasibility study in January this year, the preliminary design has been reviewed, and work is underway to approve the preliminary design and construction drawings, as well as to secure approval for early land use and sea area use.

4. Yangtze River Corridor: Hefei-Wuhan High-Speed Railway

The Hefei-Wuhan section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway has a total length of 360.5 kilometers, including 330.1 kilometers of new double-track and 30.4 kilometers utilizing the existing Hefei-Wuhan railway. Of this, 166.8 kilometers are in Anhui and 163.3 kilometers in Hubei. The estimated total investment is 79.25 billion yuan.

The line has 9 stations: Hefei South, Chang'anji (passing station), Lu'an North, Jinzhai East, Nanxi, Macheng North, Hong'an, Yangtze River New Area, and Wuhan Tianhe.

Latest progress: The project's feasibility study was approved by the NDRC at the end of May this year, and construction drawing design and review are underway; the environmental impact assessment report is about to be submitted to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for review, and once approved, the preliminary design will be ready for approval.

5. Chongqing-Xiamen Corridor: Changsha-Ganzhou High-Speed Railway

The Changsha-Ganzhou high-speed railway is a project in the national '13th Five-Year Plan' for railways. The main line is 429.4 kilometers long, including 131.8 kilometers in Hunan and 297.6 kilometers in Jiangxi. The estimated total investment is about 75.4 billion yuan, with a planned construction period of 4.5 years.

The line is planned to have stations: Changsha West, Huanghua Airport, Liuyang, Shangli, Pingxiang North, Luxi South, Lianhua East, Yongxin South, Jinggangshan East, Suichuan, Ganzhou North, and Ganzhou West.

Latest progress: The feasibility study report was approved by the NDRC in September last year, and work is underway to approve the prerequisite documents for preliminary design approval and construction drawing approval; the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has begun reviewing the environmental impact report, which is expected to be approved this month.

6. Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou Corridor: Zhanjiang-Haikou High-Speed Railway

The Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway has a total length of 129 kilometers (land route) and a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour; the Qiongzhou Strait ferry project has a navigation distance of about 23 kilometers, with new south and north ferry stations. The total investment is about 54.1 billion yuan, including 35.3 billion yuan for the Guangdong section.

The entire line will have 3 new stations: Leizhou North, Longmen West, and Beigang Ferry Station, with a reserved Xuwen North station, and will connect to the existing Zhanjiang North, Zhanjiang West, and Haikou stations.

Latest progress: On May 14 this year, the project passed the feasibility study (revised) review by China Railway Group; construction drawing design, approval of preliminary design documents, and land use approval are being accelerated; social stability risk assessment and other prerequisites for feasibility study approval have been reviewed, and the feasibility study is about to be approved.

7. Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou and Coastal Corridor: Hepu-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway

The Hepu-Zhanjiang high-speed railway is a project in the national '12th Five-Year Plan' for railways. In 2015, the NDRC approved the project's feasibility study for the first time (original design speed 200 kilometers per hour).

The main line is 141.7 kilometers long, with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, a total investment of about 25.7 billion yuan, including 15.8 billion yuan for the Guangdong section, and a construction period of 4 years.

The entire line will have 3 new stations: Suixi South, Lianjiang South, and Baisha Town, with a reserved Beihai North station, and will connect to the existing Zhanjiang West, Beihai, and Hepu stations.

Latest progress: At the end of May this year, the adjusted feasibility study report was approved by the NDRC; on September 20, the adjusted preliminary design passed the review by China Railway Group and is about to be approved.

8. Hohhot-Nanning Corridor: Jiaozuo-Luoyang-Pingdingshan High-Speed Railway

This is the western Henan corridor of the Hohhot-Nanning high-speed railway. The line is 221.237 kilometers long, with the main line connecting to the Zhengzhou-Taiyuan high-speed railway and the Pingdingshan-Luohe-Zhoukou high-speed railway, and a Jiaozuo West connecting line will be built simultaneously. The estimated total investment is about 44.6 billion yuan, with a construction period of 4 years and a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

The line is planned to have stations: Qinyang West, Jiyuan East, Luoyang Longmen, Yichuan West, Ruzhou South, and Pingdingshan West, with efforts to add stations at Luoyang North and Ruyang East (final plan subject to approval).

Latest progress: On June 10, the project passed the feasibility study review by China Railway Group, and the revised feasibility study is being deepened; the approval of land use pre-examination and planning site selection for the entire line is being advanced, and the feasibility study approval is expected to be completed before the end of the year; the preliminary design and survey for the control project, the Luoyang Yellow River Highway-Railway Bridge, have begun, and it is expected to start construction early.

9. Longyan-Longchuan High-Speed Railway: Wuping-Meizhou Section

This is the last unconnected section of the Longyan-Longchuan high-speed railway. The project is 103 kilometers long, including 13 kilometers in Fujian and 90 kilometers in Guangdong, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

The line has 5 stations: Wuping, Jiaoling, Yanyang West, Meizhou, and Meizhou West. The total investment is about 22.7 billion yuan, with a planned construction period of 4 years.

Latest progress: On June 17, it passed the feasibility study review by China Railway Group; on September 27, it passed the feasibility study evaluation by the NDRC and the National Railway Administration, and the feasibility study is about to be approved; the approval of preliminary design is being accelerated.

10. Hohhot-Nanning Corridor: Shaoyang-Yongzhou High-Speed Railway

The Shaoyang-Yongzhou high-speed railway is an important part of the Hohhot-Nanning corridor, one of the 'Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal' main high-speed rail corridors, and a crucial section for forming a new northbound channel from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area together with the Yongzhou-Qingyuan-Guangzhou high-speed railway.

The total length is 96.14 kilometers, with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour and an estimated investment of about 20.1 billion yuan. The entire line has 3 stations: Shaoyang (existing), Shaoyang County, and Yongzhou (expanded).

Latest progress: The project's feasibility study was jointly approved by China Railway Group and the Hunan Provincial People's Government in May; the environmental impact report is about to be approved, and the approval of preliminary design and preliminary land acquisition and demolition work are being advanced.

11. Shenzhen-Nanning High-Speed Railway Guangdong Section

This is the last unstarted section of the new Shenzhen-Nanning high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The line starts from the Pearl River Delta Hub Airport Station (exclusive) in the east and ends at the Guangdong-Guangxi provincial border in the west, connecting with the under-construction Nanning-Yulin-Cenxi high-speed railway in Guangxi. The new main line is 141.655 kilometers long.

The entire line has two stations: Yunfu and Luoding North. The estimated total investment is 28.3 billion yuan, with a planned total construction period of 4 years.

Latest progress: The project's feasibility study has been approved by the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission; on September 21, the announcement of the winning candidates for social investors was released, and construction bidding is about to start.