China HSR News And Information: Original Translation

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Construction wraps up on tunnel for Sichuan-Tibet Railway
By Wang Bozun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/11/3 20:38:40

A construction site of a tunnel of Sichuan-Tibet Railway File photo: IC

The construction of the Bayu Tunnel from Lhasa to the Nyingchi railway section of the strategic Sichuan-Tibet Railway has been completed, media reports said on Sunday, a development that one expert called a big step to strengthen connections between China and South Asia.

According to the People's Daily, construction of the 13,073-meter Bayu Tunnel, which faced a lot of difficulties given its complex geographical conditions was successfully completed on Sunday.

In June, China announced it would start work on the 1,700-kilometer Sichuan-Tibet Railway, a project anticipated to take seven years and cost 216.6 billion yuan ($30.78 billion).

The Lhasa to Nyingchi section is the second phase of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, the second strategic railway network in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. This section is expected to be completed in 2021.

Trains on the line operating at standard speed will only take 13 hours to travel from Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province to Lhasa. High-speed trains will only take eight hours, saving nearly 28 hours compared with taking the Qinghai-Tibet railway and nearly three days compared with the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to Lhasa, according to reports.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will also be connected to Tibet's Yadong Port and Nielamu Port, which are China's two important land gates to India and Nepal.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will boost Tibet's economic development in areas such as tourism and border trade, as well as China's connectivity with South Asia -- and even the security of the region, an expert said.

"It will promote the economic development of the border area with India and Nepal, because, in market size and the amount of products, Tibet is relatively low. Once it is connected to Sichuan, which ranked No.6 in GDP among China's provincial-level regions in 2018, it will have huge potential," Tian Yun, director of the China Society of Macroeconomics Research Center, told the Global Times.

"The market size of Sichuan compared with the border area is much bigger. The new rail service will shorten the distance and travel time between Sichuan and the border area, and it will have a huge lifting impact on the border trade," Tian said.

Besides the impact on economic development, Tian noted that Tibet's security could also be strengthened.

According to Tian, in the past, due to the harsh geographical environment, it was extremely difficult to provide logistics services.

"When the railway is completed, it will be easier to ensure the security of the Tibet Autonomous Region by logistics from Sichuan," Tian said.

 

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Xinjiang railways transport record number of passengers
Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-05 13:57:51|Editor: Wang Yamei

URUMQI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A record number of passengers were transported by railways in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the local railway authorities said.

Railways in the region handled more than 38.2 million trips from Jan. 1 to Nov. 3 this year, outnumbering the figure for the whole of 2018, according to China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.

As a popular travel destination featuring ethnic culture, delicious cuisine and unique landscapes, Xinjiang has attracted a growing number of tourists in recent years.

The number of tourists to Xinjiang exceeded 180 million from January to September this year, up 40.9 percent year on year, official data showed.

The local railway authorities said they will accelerate the train speed and improve their service to offer a safe, fast and comfortable travel experience for passengers.

 

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Tibetan railway joins key bridge on Yarlung Zangbo River
Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/11/10 8:42:43

Photo: IC​

Construction workers on Saturday completed the joining of the Bayu Bridge, an engineering feat along the first electrified railway in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The bridge over the Yarlung Zangbo River is 283.3 meters long, 19.1 meters wide with a height of 61.5 meters.

The joining of the bridge in the city of Shannan marks a major breakthrough in the construction of the Lhasa-Nyingchi railway, which connects the regional capital of Lhasa and Nyingchi of southeast Tibet, said China Railway 12th Bureau Group, contractor of the project.

Qiao Zhibin, a project director at China Railway 12th Bureau Group, said they had used advanced technologies and stronger steel to protect the bridge from earthquakes, strong winds and cracking due to large temperature differences.

The Lhasa-Nyingchi railway features complex geological conditions, with a total length of 435 km, 75 percent of which are bridges and tunnels. It began construction in 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2021.

 

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Maglev trains set to make their mark
By WANG KEJU | China Daily Global | Updated: 2019-11-13 08:40

China's first self-developed 160 kilometer-an-hour magnetic levitation train, made by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd, undergoes a test in Hunan province.[Photo by Liang Chao/For China Daily]

Plans for high-speed maglev lines with trains traveling at speeds of 600 kph or more are taking shape in more Chinese cities in a bid to boost regional integration and economic growth, transportation analysts said.

Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is considering a high-speed maglev line with a top speed of 800 kph to neighboring Chongqing, according to the city's latest development plan.

The lines, which use magnets to float a swiftly moving train above its tracks, are expected to cut travel time between the two cities to half an hour, down from one hour and 13 minutes on the current high-speed train service, which can hit speeds of 350 kph.

Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, is also eyeing a maglev train, with China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group, a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corp that is based in the city, to begin construction of the line next year, the Wuhan Evening News reported.

A team led by the China Academy of Engineering is also conducting a feasibility study on a high-speed maglev line in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a designed maximum speed of 600 kph, He Huawu, vice-president of the academy, said in July at the 2019 World Transport Convention in Beijing.

Jia Limin, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University and head of China's high-speed rail innovation program, said the high speeds of the maglev lines were close to airplane cruising speeds. Without wheels, the trains can achieve higher speeds by running in a vacuum tube to lower air resistance.

"Maglev is the future of ultrafast trains since it's fast, safe, reliable and low maintenance," Jia said. "It can fill the service gap between the high-speed rail network and aviation, which will further boost the flow of talent in neighboring provinces and even nationwide, and thus propel regional economic growth and prosperity."

China has made consistent strides in developing maglev technologies and has achieved major breakthroughs in research and engineering practices.

In May, Chinese manufacturer CRRC Qingdao Sifang unveiled a prototype maglev train with a designed top speed of 600 kph. The engineering prototype was reported to be likely to roll off the production line next year, before undergoing comprehensive testing in 2021 to prepare for commercial manufacturing.

In 2006, the Shanghai Maglev Train, which uses German technology, was put into use on a 30-km track between downtown Shanghai and the city's Pudong airport. It normally operates at a maximum speed of 430 kph.

"China started operating its first maglev railway more than a decade ago, but has since concentrated on conventional high-speed rail because it was hindered by many critical technologies at that time," said Sun Zhang, a railway specialist and professor at Shanghai's Tongji University.

"But we have been learning advanced technologies from foreign countries, digesting and absorbing; and eventually developed our own innovations over the past years, finally laying a technological basis for an engineering prototype."

A set of technical standards for maglev railways, released by the National Railway Administration, will be implemented on a trial basis from Jan 1.

The standards, based on opinions gathered from government agencies and scientific research institutes, cover basic technical requirements, including track gauges, and clarify the main specifications for maglev trains.

 

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5th anniv. of operations of 1st high-speed rail link in Xinjiang marked on train D8804
Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-16 21:25:46|Editor: ZX

Saturday marks the fifth year of the operations of the first high-speed rail link in Xinjiang that has carried 30.75 million passengers. At present, the trains make 43 round trips per day in Xinjiang section of Lanxin high-speed railway. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

 

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Maglev research underway in Yangtze River Delta
By Zhang Jie | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-12-03 16:04

A design sketch shows a high-speed maglev train that will be able to reach 600 kilometers per hour. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Yangtze River Delta area will carry out a planning study on the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev project with an active and prudent attitude, news website ThePaper reported on Monday. The report was based on a recently released document.

The document — an outline of the integrated regional development of the Yangtze River Delta — was jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Sunday.

Currently, China has three maglev lines in Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, with a deliberately capped maximum speed of 100, 430 and 100 kilometers per hour, respectively.

China is actively promoting research on high-speed maglev trains.

A prototype of a high-speed maglev train with a design speed of 600 kph was unveiled in Qingdao, Shandong province, in May. The engineering prototype is scheduled for 2020 and is expected to finish integrated verification in 2021.

Sichuan, Shandong and Hainan provinces have also scheduled maglev projects.

 

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High-speed rail connects major cities in southwest China's mountainous regions
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-16 13:32:37|Editor: ZX

GUIYANG, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- At 8:28 a.m. Monday, a bullet train departed Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, for a largely mountainous journey that will end in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

With a design speed of 250 km per hour, the train service marked the launch of 648-km-long Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed rail line, an important part of China's ambitious plan to build a high-speed railway network across the country.

The rail line links Guiyang and Chengdu, two transport hubs in southwest China, providing vast numbers of passengers in the region with a speedy pathway to eastern and southern coastal regions, said Li Yi, a main designer of the railway with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group.

"The railway is of key significance for tourism, mineral exploration, poverty alleviation, as well as China's strategy to develop the western region," said Li.

Shang Qingli, an art group leader from Dafang County of Guizhou, came early to Guiyang North Train Station for the maiden rail service with 30 members of his group.

"We will vigorously promote Dafang's tourism when we arrive in Chengdu," said Shang, adding that the launch of the railway line will help promote local tourism as well as the Yi ethnic culture.

Due to the mountainous terrain of the region, about 85 percent of the 648-km-long railway tracks were built on elevated bridges or through tunnels.

"In terms of geological conditions, the Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed rail line is one of the most complicated passenger rail projects in China's mountainous regions," said Zheng Tao, a designer with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group.

Zheng said completion of the rail line attests to China's advanced know-how in high-speed railway construction, citing engineering feats in the project including ballastless slab track, a long-span steel-concrete basket arch bridge and a steel tube-concrete swivel arch bridge.

 

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Dunhuang railway starts operation
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-18 17:33:25|Editor: mingmei

XINING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new railway linking Dunhuang city, northwest China's Gansu Province, and Golmud city, northwest China's Qinghai Province, fully opened on Wednesday, according to China Railway.

The 671-km route is an important connecting line between the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. It allows trains to run at 120 km per hour, said the company.

Construction of the newly opened Subei-Mahai section, with a total length of 173 km and six new stations, began in April 2013.

The Dunhuang railway will intersect with existing railways, including the Lanzhou-Qinghai Railway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, to form the first circular railway network in the northwestern region.

The network will shorten the travel distance between Xinjiang and Tibet by 1,100 km and the time by almost 10 hours.

The new railroad is of great importance to the railway network in western China and will play a big role in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, the company said.

 

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New model of high-speed inter-city trains operational in central China
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-24 16:02:14|Editor: Xiang Bo

CHANGSHA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A new model of high-speed trains designed for inter-city transportation was put into operation Tuesday in central China's Hunan Province.

With a design speed of 160 kph, the CJ6 trains were jointly developed by an inter-city railway company in Hunan and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd.

The new trains are versatile, as they can run in four-car formations during non-rush hours and eight or 16-car formations during rush hours, said Zhou Qinghe, chairman of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.

Using light-weight materials and equipped with a braking system powered by recycled energy, the new model is also energy-conserving and environmentally friendly, according to Zhou.

Industry analysts said the operation of the new trains will help boost the integration of cities in Hunan.

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High-speed railway to "cradle of Chinese revolution" opens
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-26 13:49:47|Editor: mingmei

Photo taken on Dec. 26, 2019 shows the first high-speed train G5025 leaving Nanchang West Station after the opening of Nanchang-Ganzhou high-speed railway in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province. A high-speed railway opened on Thursday threading Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, Jinggangshan, the "cradle of the Chinese revolution," and China's rare earth base of Ganzhou. The high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 km per hour shortens the former train trip of more than 4 hours to less than 2 hours on the 418-km line. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)

NANCHANG, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A high-speed railway opened on Thursday threading Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, Jinggangshan, the "cradle of the Chinese revolution," and China's rare earth base of Ganzhou.

The high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 km per hour shortens the former train trip of more than 4 hours to less than 2 hours on the 418-km line.

The railway is connected with both China's vertical artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong High-speed Railway and the horizontal artery of the Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway.

Jinggangshan has become a famous tourist destination for visitors from home and abroad, which boasts both pristine natural scenery and the cultural heritage of the revolution.

The first railway was laid to the city in 2006, and in May 2004, the Jinggangshan Airport opened, injecting great vitality into the mountainous area.

"The opening of the high-speed railway service has further accelerated the development of the old revolutionary base," said Chen Shenghua, professor at the China Executive Leadership Academy Jinggangshan.

An economic development zone has been planned near the Ji'an West Railway Station in Jinggangshan, which has a planned area of 7.6 square km.

Xiao Xin, chairman of Ji'an City Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd., said the development zone with an investment of more than 15 billion yuan (around 2.14 billion U.S. dollars) will feature exhibitions and tourism.

"The high-speed railway has opened up a new channel for Jinggangshan. Many enterprises from the coastal provinces are eyeing the mountain tourist resources in the area," said Xiao.

 

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Northwest Chinese city opens high-speed rail
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-29 16:13:51|Editor: ZX

YINCHUAN, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region opened its first high-speed railway on Sunday.

The 207-km-long railway links three cities in the region including Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, Wuzhong and Zhongwei with a maximum design speed of 250 kph.

The railway will reduce travel time between Yinchuan and Zhongwei by more than an hour, said the local state-owned capital operation group.

The railway is part of a major high-speed rail line under construction connecting northwest China with the northern region, said Ma Wenhui, chief designer of the Yinchuan-Xi'an high-speed railway.