The Baoji–Chengdu Railway or Baocheng Railway , is a mixed single-

Single track (rail)

A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....

 and double-track, electrified

Railway electrification system

A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...

, railroad that connects central and southwest

Southwest China

Southwest China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.-Provinces:-Municipalities:...

 China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 between Baoji

Baoji

Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...

 and Chengdu

Chengdu

Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...

. The line has a total length of 668.2 km and passes through mostly mountainous terrain in Shaanxi

Shaanxi

' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...

, Gansu

Gansu

' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...

 and Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

 provinces. It opened in 1961 as the first rail outlet from Sichuan, and in 1975 became the first railway in China to be electrified. Other cities along route include Mianyang

Mianyang

Mianyang is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Its administrative area includes the city proper of Mianyang, with 985,586 inhabitants in the built up area , the county-level city of Jiangyou, and six counties, covering an area of over and a population...

, Guangyuan

Guangyuan

Guangyuan is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China. It has an area of 16313.78 square kilometers and a population of 2,484,123 in 2010...

, Guanghan

Guanghan

Guanghan is a county-level city in Deyang, Sichuan province, China. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceuticals and the supply of building material....

 and Lueyang

Lueyang County

Lueyang County, or Lüeyang County, is a county of Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China.-External links:*...

.

Line Description

The Baocheng Line runs from the plains of the Sichuan Basin

Sichuan basin

The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...

 to the Wei River

Wei River

The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....

 Valley. It traverses the Qin Mountains, the east-west range that divides northern from southern China. The line has 304 tunnels and 1,001 bridges, which collectively account for 17% of the total track length.

In Baoji, the line meets the Longhai Railway, on which trains can travel east to Xian and the Central Plains

Central Plain (China)

Zhongyuan or the Central Plain of China refers to the area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. It forms part of the North China Plain....

 or west to Lanzhou

Lanzhou

Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....

 and the northwest. At Yangpingguan, the line intersects with the Yangpingguan-Ankang Railway which branches eastward along the Han River Valley. In Chengdu, the line intersects with the Chengyu Line

Chengdu-Chongqing Railway

Chengdu-Chongqing Railway or Chengyu Railway , also known as the Chengyu Line, is a single-track, electrified, railroad in the Sichuan Basin of Southwest China between the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing. Chongqing's short form name is Yu and the railway is named after the two cities...

 to Chongqing, Chengqian Line to Guizhou, and Chengkun Line to Kunming.

History

The Baocheng Line was originally proposed in Sun Yat-sen's 1913 China National Railway Plan as part of the Datong-Chengdu Railway. Construction began in Chengdu on July 1, 1952 and from Baoji in January 1954. The line opened on August 15, 1961, and was electrified in 1975 and was the first to be electrified in the country. Construction of a second track between Chengdu and Yangpingguan began in 1993 and was completed in 1999. From Yangpingguan to Baoji, the line remains single-track.