Beijing–Guangzhou railway

The Beijing–Guangzhou railway or Jingguang railway (simplified Chinese: 京广铁路; traditional Chinese: 京廣鐵路; pinyin: Jīngguǎng tiělù) is a major trunk railway that connects Beijing in the north with Guangzhou in the south. This double-track electrified line has a total length of 2,324 kilometres (1,444 miles) and spans five provinces through north, central and south China. The line passes through the capitals of each of them: Shijiazhuang (Hebei), Zhengzhou (Henan), Wuhan (Hubei), Changsha (Hunan) and Guangzhou (Guangdong). The line's two terminals are the Beijing West railway station and the Guangzhou railway station.

Beijing–Guangzhou railway 京广铁路
The Jingguang railway on the Snake Hill in Wuhan. In the far background, the railway crosses the Yangtze over the Wuhan Bridge.
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	China Railway
Status	Operational
Locale	Beijing, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong
Termini	Beijing West Guangzhou
Stations	53 active
Operation
Operator(s)	China Railway
Technical
Line length	2,324 km (1,444 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed	150–200 kilometres per hour (93–124 mph)
Route map km Beijing underground cross-city railway Beijing–Shanghai railway to Beijing Beijing–Kowloon railway Beijing West Beijing–Guangzhou HSR to Guangzhou South 0 Fengtai start of main line Beijing–Shanghai railway to Shanghai Fengtai West Fengtai–Shacheng railway to Shacheng Yongding River 10 Changxindian Houlücun Beijingxi-Changyang railway 20 Liangxiang Beijing Hebei Province 53 Zhuozhou 73 Gaobeidian Tianjin–Baoding intercity railway to Tianjin West 111 Xushui 135 Baoding 168 Wangdu 195 Dingzhou Shuozhou–Huanghua railway to Shenchi South │ to Huanghua Port 228 Xinle 252 Zhengding Shijiazhuang Northwest Circular line Beijing-Guangzhou HSR Shijiazhuang tunnel Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan railway to Taiyuan Shijiazhuang–Dezhou railway to Dezhou Shijiazhuang–Jinan HSR to Jinan East Shijiazhuang ( original site ) 270 Shijiazhuang Beijing-Guangzhou HSR Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan HSR Shijiazhuang Southwest Circular line 298 Yuanshi 317 Gaoyi 332 Lincheng 379 Xingtai 403 Shaheshi Shahe–Wuji railway to Wuan & Wuji 431 Handan Handan–Changzhi railway to Changzhi Handan–Jinan railway to Jinan 462 Cixian Hebei Province Henan Province 481 Baizhuang CR Beijing CR Zhengzhou Anyang–Lizhen railway to Gangziyao 491 Anyang Tangyin–Heshan railway to Jiukuang 513 Tangyin Watang–Rizhao railway to Changzhi South Tangyin–Taiqian railway to Taiqian 532 Hebi 550 Qixian 588 Xinxiang North 598 Xinxiang Xinxiang–Yueshan railway to Yueshan Xinxiang–Yanzhou railway to Yanzhou 640 Jiaozuo East Zhengzhou-Jiaozuo intercity railway to Jiaozuo Jiayingguan Bridge│Zhengjiao Bridge over Yellow River 657 Guangwu Zhengzhou Northwest Circular line 673 Haitangsi │ Zhengzhou North Longhai railway to Lanzhou 678 Zhengzhou Longhai railway to Lianyun 682 Zhengzhou South 724 Xinzheng 742 Changge 764 Xuchang 790 Linying CR Zhengzhou CR Wuhan Mengmiao–Baofeng railway to Baofeng 818 Luohe Luohe–Fuyang railway to Fuyang 840 Xiping 884 Zhumadian 941 Minggang Nanjing–Xi'an railway to Xi'an 980 Xinyang Nanjing–Xi'an railway to Nanjing 1,018 Jigongshan Jigongshan–Yangzhai railway Jigongshan tunnel (5.708 km) Henan Province Hubei Province 1,039 Guangshui Jigongshan–Yangzhai railway 1,059 Yangzhai 1,124 Xiaogan Macheng–Wuhan railway to Macheng Hengdian 1,166 Wuhan North Hefei–Wuhan passenger railway to Hefei South 1,176 Shekou Wuhan freight bypass line to Wuchang East 1,185 Danshuichi Jiang'an Hankou connection Dazhimen Xunlimen end of Beijing– Hankou railway Hankou CRH depot Wuhan–Xiaogan intercity railway to Xiaogan East Hankou Hankou–Danjiangkou railway to Danjiang & Wuhan–Yichang railway to Yichang East 1,199 Hanxi Hanshui Railway bridge over Han River 1,205 Hanyang Wuhan Yangtze River railway ferry Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge Wuhan–Jiujiang railway to Lushan Wuchang North start of Guangzhou– Hankou railway 1,214 Wuchang Wuhan–Xianning intercity railway to Xianning South 1,221 Wuchang South Wuchang South Circular Railway to Heliu & Lushan 1,294 Xianning 1,332 Chibi Hubei Province Hunan Province CR Wuhan CR Guangzhou 1,398 Linxiang 1,410 Lukou 1,440 Yueyang Rongjiawan Miluo River 1,509 Miluo Changzhutan intercity railway 1,587 Changsha Changzhutan intercity railway Hunan–Guizhou railway 1,639 Zhuzhou Zhejiang–Jiangxi railway G4 1,722 Hengshan 1,773 Hengyang Hunan–Guangxi railway Linghu 1,836 Leiyang Zixing–Xujiadong railway 1,920 Chenzhou 1,986 Pingshi Pingshi–Muchongcun railway Hunan Province Guangdong Province 2,023 Lechang 2,073 Shaoguan East G4 2,156 Yingde Beijing-Guangzhou HSR 2,267 Guangzhou North Beijing-Guangzhou HSR Guangzhou-Maoming railway 2,294 Guangzhou Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway km

Due to abundance of large and medium-sized cites on its route, this railway is widely recognized as the most important conventional railway line in China.

History

Dazhimen Station in Hankou, the original southern terminal of the Jinghan railway

The Jingguang railway was originally two independent companies: the Beijing–Hankou railway in the north from Beijing to Hankou, and the Guangdong–Hankou railway in the south from Wuchang to Guangzhou. Hankou and Wuchang were cities on opposite sides of the Yangtze River that became part of the present city of Wuhan in 1927.

The 1,215-kilometre (755 mi) long Beijing–Hankou railway (Jinghan railway) was built between 1897 and 1906.[1] The concession was originally awarded to a Belgian company that was backed by French investors. A strong desire to bring the route under Chinese control led to the formation of the Bank of Communications to secure the financing needed to repatriate the railway. The successful redemption of the railway in 1909 enhanced the prestige of the Communications Clique, which became a powerful political force in the early Republic.[2]

Construction of the Guangdong–Hankou railway (Yuehan railway) began in 1900 and progressed more slowly.[1] The concession was originally awarded to the American China Development Company, but a diplomatic crisis erupted when the Belgians purchased a controlling interest in it. The concession was cancelled in 1904 to prevent Franco-Belgian interests from controlling the entire Beijing–Guangdong route.[2] The Guangzhou–Sanshui branch line was completed in 1904.[3] The Changsha–Zhuzhou section was then completed in 1911, followed by the Guangzhou–Shaoguan section in 1916, and the Wuchang–Changsha section in 1918.[1] Work on the final section between Zhuzhou and Shaoguan began in 1929 but was not completed until 1936.[1][4]

On 7 February 1923, workers of the Beijing-Wuhan Railway Workers' association launched a massive strike demanding better workers' rights and protesting oppression by warlords. The strike, organized by Shi Yang and Lin Xiangqian, was an early example of worker mobilization by the Communist Party of China.[5]

Major stations

An SS8 locomotive hauling a passenger train at Huaishuling in Fengtai District, Beijing.

From north to south:

km	Station	Province
0,000	Beijing West or Fengtai
0,135	Baoding	Hebei
0,270	Shijiazhuang
0,431	Handan
0,598	Xinxiang	Henan
0,678	Zhengzhou
0,818	Luohe
0,980	Xinyang
1,000	Hankou	Hubei
1,214	Wuchang
1,440	Yueyang	Hunan
1,587	Changsha
1,639	Zhuzhou
1,773	Hengyang
2,073	Shaoguan East	Guangdong
2,294	Guangzhou

Service

The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, built in 1957, connected the Beijing–Hankou railway and Guangzhou–Wuchang railways to form the Jingguang railway.

Currently, the nonstop Beijing–Kowloon "Jingjiu" through train operates on this line. Prior to 2003, this train called at stops along the route before they were eliminated to create a through service directly from the capital to Hong Kong.

Parallel lines

The Beijing–Kowloon railway, completed in 1996, is another "conventional" railway connecting Beijing with the Pearl River Delta. It runs mostly within a corridor 100–300 kilometres (60–190 miles) to the east of the Beijing–Guangzhou railway.

The Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway runs through the same major cities as the original railway, on a slightly different route that avoids built-up areas and has a greater curve radius allowing for higher speeds and a somewhat shorter overall length. In most cities along the line, the high-speed trains stop at different, purpose-built stations, rather than the older stations served by the original line.[6] The Wuhan–Guangzhou section of the high-speed railway opened in 2009, and the Beijing–Wuhan section in 2012.

As consecutive sections of the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway became operational, the railway authorities shifted much of passenger traffic from the original railway to the new high-speed line. This allowed an increase in the amount of freight volume transported over the original route. For example, according to preliminary estimates, after the entire Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway opens, the annual freight capacity of the northern half of the Beijing–Guangzhou railway (between its two main freight stations, Beijing's Fengtai West Station and Wuhan North railway station) would increase by 20 million tons.[7]

Accidents

On 29 June 2009, two passenger trains collided at Chenzhou station, leaving three people dead and 63 injured.[8]

See also

• List of railways in China
• Beijing-Kowloon Railway
• Rail transport in the People's Republic of China

References

1. 京广铁路. Tieliu.com.cn (in Chinese). 8 January 2007. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013.
2. Lee, En-han (1977). China's Quest for Railway Autonomy, 1904-1911: A Study of the Chinese Railway-Rights Recovery Movement. Singapore University Press.
3. The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States, Siam, Netherlands India, Borneo, the Philippines, &c. for the Year 1912. The Hongkong Daily Press Office. 1912. p. 1026. Work upon the branch line from Canton to Samshui (about 30 miles) commenced in December, 1902, and a length of ten miles, as far as Fatshan, was opened on November 15, 1903. The line was extended to Samshui the following year.
4. "Canton–Hankow Railway". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 June 1936. English newspapers announce that the last rail has been laid of the railway link between Hankow and Canton.
5. "Anniversaries of important events -- Feb. 7 Great Strike"
6. Hung, Wing-tat; Brunello, Lara; Bunker, Jonathan, Critical Issues of High Speed Rail Development in China (PDF), p. 4
7. 京广高铁座位分四档 武汉赴京最低约500多元 Archived 22 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Seats on Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway will come in four classes; lowest Wuhan to Beijing fare around 500 yuan), 2012-12-15 (in Chinese)
8. "Three killed in passenger train collision in C China". Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on 28 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.