China's High-Speed Rail Tops 50,000km

China’s sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometres (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening of a new line on Friday, state media reported.

The country has the world’s largest rail network, which spans one-fifth of the earth’s circumference.

The trip begins in the city of Xi’an, home to China’s famed Terracotta Warriors and ends in Yan’an to its north, state broadcaster CCTV said. Both cities are in northern China’s Shaanxi province.

Some homes were demolished, and displaced residents would receive 5,000 yuan ($700) per household to help with relocation, local authorities said in 2020, when construction began.

China’s rail network has expanded by around 32 per cent compared to 2020, state-owned China Railway added Friday in a statement. The Xi’an-Yan’an line spans a total of 299 kilometres, and the shortest trip takes 68 minutes.

The C9309 train runs at 350 kilometres (217 miles) per hour, outpacing Japan’s Shinkansen, which has a top speed of 320 kilometres (200 miles) per hour.

Beijing has also been financing railways in other Asian countries under its Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure projects globally, but several plans have been stalled or mired in controversy.

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