China Opens Four High-Speed Rail Routes Ahead of National Day Holiday

China opened four high-speed rail routes on September 28, adding more than 1,100 kilometres of new passenger railway across northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China. The openings came just before the National Day holiday period, when domestic rail travel typically surges.

The largest addition is the 552-kilometre Xiong'an–Shangqiu section of the Beijing–Hong Kong high-speed railway. The line runs from Xiong'an in Hebei through parts of Hebei, Shandong and Henan to Shangqiu, with 16 stations and a design speed of 350km/h.

China State Railway Group says the fastest journey between Xiong'an and Shangqiu takes two hours and 27 minutes. The new route also connects with existing high-speed lines at Hengshui, Liaocheng, Heze and Shangqiu, creating more options for trips across the North China Plain and towards central China. In its initial timetable, the operator plans up to 64 cross-line high-speed services a day on the route.

For visitors travelling in Shaanxi, the newly opened Xi'an–Ankang section of the Xi'an–Chongqing high-speed railway cuts the fastest journey from Xi'an East to Ankang West to 45 minutes. The 171-kilometre line passes through the Qinling mountain area and serves Xi'an, Shangluo and Ankang. It is the first completed section of the wider Xi'an–Chongqing project; the onward Ankang–Chongqing section remains under construction.

In Hubei, the 101-kilometre Yichang–Xingshan high-speed railway now links Yichang North with Xingshan. The operator lists a fastest Yichang North–Xingshan journey of 30 minutes. The route also forms a connection between the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu riverside high-speed railway and the Zhengzhou–Chongqing line. Some Wuhan–Chongqing services are being routed via the new link, with a fastest scheduled journey of three hours and 54 minutes.

Further north, the 318-kilometre Harbin–Yichun high-speed railway has brought Yichun into China’s high-speed network. The fastest Harbin–Yichun trip is listed at one hour and 46 minutes. Initial services include trains to and from Beijing Chaoyang and Dalian North, although actual journey options and departure times depend on the date and timetable selected.

Planning rail journeys

These openings expand routing choices rather than creating a single new through service from Beijing to Hong Kong. The Beijing Fengtai–Xiong'an and Nanchang–Jiujiang gaps in the wider Beijing–Hong Kong corridor have not yet opened, according to China State Railway Group.

Travellers should search the official 12306 booking platform or app for their intended date, station and train number. China’s high-speed network often uses different stations within the same city, including Xi'an East and Ankang West on the new Shaanxi route, so checking the exact departure and arrival station before booking is important. Holiday-period demand can be high, and ticket availability, stopping patterns and discount fares can change by service.