The China State Railway Group is planning on adding another 2,600 kilometers of high-speed railway to its already existing network over the span of 2025, surpassing 50,000 kilometers throughout the country.
By the end of 2024, China counted no less than 162,000 kilometers of railway, including 48,000 kilometers of high-speed rails. This already amounts for the world’s most extensive railway network but the country isn’t about to stop expanding it. During the national railway operator’s annual conference in Beijing, its president, Guo Zhuxue, unveiled its plans for 2025 and 2030.
As far as 2025 goes, the China State Railway Group plans 590 billion yuan (€77.5 billion) in infrastructure investments, amounting for another 2,600 kilometers of high-speed rails. This would bring the nation’s high-speed network to 50,600 kilometers. The transport revenue is set to surpass 1 trillion yuan (€131.3 billion) in 2025. This is slightly more than in 2024, when 3,100 kilometers of new rail lines were added, 2,457 kilometers of which were high-speed rails. For 2030, the company is aiming even higher.
Over the course of the next five years, the nation’s railway network should reach 180,000 kilometers in length, 60,000 of which allowing for high-speed travel. The high-speed network should allow people to travel between major cities within hours, making it a valid alternative to domestic flights. Cargo transportation should also be facilitated, thus benefiting the Chinese economy.
China’s first high-speed railway only opened in 2008, meaning the country has come a long way over the course of less than two decades. Beijing is now set to host the World High-Speed Railway Congress in July 2025, where some of the country’s cutting-edge high-speed trains will without a doubt be shown to the world.
At the moment, China’s fastest high-speed train is the CR400, reaching a top speed of 400 kilometers per hour and an operational speed of 350 kilometers per hour. However, on 29 December 2024, the CR450 was presented in Beijing – reaching top speeds of 450 kilometers per hour and an operational speed of 400 kilometers per hour. The train had already passed 3,000 simulations and over 2,000 platform tests but will need to undergo further testing in order to ensure it meets all necessary standards for commercial operations. Once put into commercial service, however, it could become the world’s fastest train.
