China’s high speed rail construction accelerates again to boost slowing economy

An update on China’s high speed rail and regular construction

2015 the total length of railways in service would reach 120,000 kilometers,
2015 total length of high speed rail in operation would be 18,000 kilometers.
At the end of 2014, total length of railways in service reached 112,000 kilometers
70,000 kilometers of rail was in the central and western areas at the end of 2014
16,000 kilometers of high speed rail was in operation at the end of 2014

In 2014, high-speed rail expansion gained speed with the opening of the Taiyuan–Xi’an, Hangzhou–Changsha, Lanzhou-Ürümqi, Guiyang-Guangzhou, Nanning-Guangzhou trunk lines and intercity lines around Wuhan, Chengdu, Qingdao and Zhengzhou. High-speed passenger rail service expanded to 28 provinces and regions. The number of high-speed train sets in operation grew from 1,277 pairs in June to 1,556.5 pairs in December.

Second boom with economic slowdown

In response to a slowing economy, central planners approved a slew of new lines including Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou, Zhengzhou-Wanzhou, Lianyungang-Zhenjiang, Linyi-Qufu, Harbin-Mudanjiang, Yinchuan-Xi’an, Datong-Zhangjiakou, and intercity lines in Zhejiang and Jiangx