Yichang-Xingshan High-Speed Railway officially opens for operation

(ECNS) -- The Yichang-Xingshan High-Speed Railway officially commenced operation on Monday.

Connecting Yichang City and Xingshan County in Hubei Province, the new line cuts the travel time from 2 hours to 30 minutes, and shortens the rail journey between Wuhan and Chongqing to 3 hours and 54 minutes.

Also connecting line between Yichang and Zhengzhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway, the Yichang-Xingshan High-Speed Railway serves as a key section of the Yangtze River passenger corridor within China's national "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network.

Construction of the project officially started on August 25, 2020. Stretching 101 kilometers in total, the railway originates from Yichang North Station on the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway, runs through Yiling District of Yichang City into Xingshan County, and connects to Xingshan Station on the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-Speed Railway.

Designed for a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the route comprises 23 tunnels and 56 bridges.

During the initial operation phase, railway authorities will run a maximum of eight cross-line EMU trains on the route every day. Thanks to its operation, the travel time of some high-speed trains running between Wuhan in Hubei and Chongqing will be cut by at least one hour.

Li Fangfang, head of the Xingshan County Bureau of Culture and Tourism, noted that the opening of the railway will effectively link premium cultural and tourism resources including the Three Gorges Dam, the Hometown of Wang Zhaojun (one of the Four Beauties of ancient China), and Shennongjia National Park. The new rail line is of great significance to fostering high-quality socioeconomic development of the region, Li said.

(By Zhang Dongfang)