Xiamen–Shenzhen Railway
Encyclopedia
The Xiamen–Shenzhen Railway is a dual-track
, electrified
, high-speed rail line
under construction on the southern coast of China. The line, also known as the Xiashen Railway, is named after its two terminal cities Xiamen
in Fujian Province and Shenzhen
, next to Hong Kong
, in Guangdong Province. The line will have a total length of 502.4 km and will form part of China's Southeast Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor. Construction began in November 23, 2007, and the line is expected to enter into operation by the end of 2011. The line is designed for trains running at top speeds of 250 kilometres per hour, and is expected shorten rail travel between Xiamen and Shenzhen from 11 hours to 3 hours.
, Zhao'an, Raoping
, Chaoshan
, Chaozhou
, Shantou
, Puning
, Shanwei
, Huidong
and Huizhou
.
follow the routes of older conventional railroads, but there were no railways on the southeast coast prior to the building of high-speed rail. Historically, the southeast coastal region relied on maritime transportation, and rugged terrain made railway construction more expensive. In the first half of the 20th century, warfare and political instability delayed railway construction. During the Cold War
, the southeast coast faced the threat of invasion from Republic of China on Taiwan and all railways were built inland. Only when political tensions across the Taiwan Strait
eased in the late 1990s did planning of the Xiashen Line proceed.
Construction began commenced in 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
, 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...
, high-speed rail line
High-speed rail in China
High-speed rail in China refers to any commercial train service in the China with an average speed of or higher. By that measure, China has the world's longest high-speed rail network with about of routes in service as of June 2011 including of rail lines with top speeds of...
under construction on the southern coast of China. The line, also known as the Xiashen Railway, is named after its two terminal cities Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
in Fujian Province and Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, next to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, in Guangdong Province. The line will have a total length of 502.4 km and will form part of China's Southeast Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor. Construction began in November 23, 2007, and the line is expected to enter into operation by the end of 2011. The line is designed for trains running at top speeds of 250 kilometres per hour, and is expected shorten rail travel between Xiamen and Shenzhen from 11 hours to 3 hours.
Route
The Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway follows the rugged southern coast of China. Major cities and towns along route will include ZhangzhouZhangzhou
Zhangzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Located on the banks of the Jiulong River , Zhangzhou borders the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.Zhangzhou...
, Zhao'an, Raoping
Raoping
Raoping County is a county in eastern Guangdong Province, to the west of Fujian Province, near the South China Sea. The city with the same name has 135,600 inhabitants .It is under the jurisdiction of Chaozhou....
, Chaoshan
Chaoshan
Cháoshàn refers to the linguistic and cultural region in the east of Guangdong, a southeastern province of China. This region is the origin of the Min Nan dialect Teochew. The area is known as Teochew for most people overseas, although it also consists of the cities of Shantou and Jieyang...
, Chaozhou
Chaozhou
Chaozhou is a city in eastern Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast...
, Shantou
Shantou
Shantou , historically known as Swatow or Suátao, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of...
, Puning
Puning
Puning is a county-level city in the municipal region of Jieyang, Guangdong, China.-Puning in the News:The city's family planning excesses attracted first national then international attention in 2010 April due to the Iron Fist Campaign....
, Shanwei
Shanwei
Shanwei is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province of Southern China, People's Republic of China. It borders Jieyang to the east, Meizhou and Heyuan to the north, Huizhou to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south...
, Huidong
Huidong County, Guangdong
Huidong County is a county of Guangdong Province, China. It is under the administration of Huizhou city....
and Huizhou
Huizhou
Huizhou , historically known as Waichow, is a city located in central Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen...
.
History
The Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway is the first railway to be built on the southern coast of China. Most high-speed rail lines in ChinaHigh-speed rail in China
High-speed rail in China refers to any commercial train service in the China with an average speed of or higher. By that measure, China has the world's longest high-speed rail network with about of routes in service as of June 2011 including of rail lines with top speeds of...
follow the routes of older conventional railroads, but there were no railways on the southeast coast prior to the building of high-speed rail. Historically, the southeast coastal region relied on maritime transportation, and rugged terrain made railway construction more expensive. In the first half of the 20th century, warfare and political instability delayed railway construction. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the southeast coast faced the threat of invasion from Republic of China on Taiwan and all railways were built inland. Only when political tensions across the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
eased in the late 1990s did planning of the Xiashen Line proceed.
Construction began commenced in 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.