Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway

Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway or Xi'an-Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line, is a dual-track, electrified, high-speed rail line in Western China between Xi'an and Chengdu, respectively the provincial capitals of Shaanxi and Sichuan. This line, which commenced operations on 6 December 2017, runs 510 km (320 mi) through Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces and accommodates trains traveling at speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph).[1] Travel time between the two provincial capitals was reduced from 16 to less than three hours.[2]

Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway 西成客运专线
Overview
Status	In operation
Locale	Shaanxi and Sichuan
Termini	Xi'an North Chengdu East
Services	1
Operation
Opened	6 December 2017
Operator(s)	China Railway High-speed
Technical
Line length	510 km (317 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	250Km/h
Route map  Datong–Xi'an Passenger Railway to Datong South  Xuzhou–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway to Xuzhou East Xi'an North  Xuzhou–Lanzhou High-Speed Railway to Lanzhou West  Longhai Railway to Lianyun Xi'an  Longhai Railway to Lanzhou Epanggong Feng River Grand Bridge (20,944 m) Huyi Qingliangshan Tunnel (12,553 m) Donglaoyu River Bridge (243 m) Daqinling Tunnel (14,846 m) Caiziping Grand Bridge Xinchangjie Tianhuashan Tunnel (15,989 m) Lao'anshan Tunnel (15,161 m) Foping Deli Tunnel (14,167 m) Furenshan Tunnel (13,101 m) Yangxian West Xushui River Grand Bridge (18,960 m) Chenggu North Wenchuan River Grand Bridge (25,905 m)  Yangpingguan–Ankang Railway to Ankang Hanzhong  Yangpingguan–Ankang Railway to Yangpingguan Han River Grand Bridge (4,908.24 m) Xinji Fuchuan Tunnel (9,015 m) Fangjiawan Tunnel (8,561 m) Qishuba Tunnel (7,225.7 m) Hejialiang Tunnel (12,405 m) Ningqiang South Qipanguan Tunnel (9,229 m), Shaanxi/Sichuan border Chaotian Xiao'an Tunnel (13,430 m) Zhaojiayan Tunnel (8,345 m) Jialing River Grand Bridge (1,720 m)  Chongqing–Lanzhou Railway to Lanzhou East Guangyuan  Chongqing–Lanzhou Railway to Chongqing North Bailong River Grand Bridge (1,394 m) Zhanggongling Tunnel Jianmenguan Huangjialiang Tunnel (11,632 m) Qingchuan Jinjiayan Tunnel (12,029 m) Liangchahe Grand Bridge (2,562 m) Jiangyou North Jiangyou Qinglian Mianyang Luojiang East Deyang Guanghan North Qingbaijiang East Xindu East Chengdu East  Chengdu–Chongqing High-Speed Railway to Chongqing  Chengdu–Guiyang High-Speed Railway to Guiyang East

Xicheng Passenger Dedicated Line
Simplified Chinese	西成客运专线
Traditional Chinese	西成客運專線
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xīchéng Kèyùn Zhuānxiàn

The project was approved by the State Development and Planning Commission in October 2010.[1] Construction of the Sichuan section of the railway started on November 10, 2010,[3] and of the Shaanxi section, on October 27, 2012.[4] The line traverses the rugged Qin and Daba Mountains and connects the Guanzhong Plains with the Sichuan Basin.

The line constitutes part of the Beijing–Kunming passageway.

Route

The high-speed rail line connects Xian, in the Wei River Valley, Hanzhong, in the Han River Valley, and Guangyuan, Jiangyou and Chengdu in the Sichuan Basin. In the Qin Mountains, it has 127 km (79 mi) of tunnels, including six over 10,000 m (6.2 mi) in length.[5] The railwonay passes under ecologically-sensitive areas including the Taibaishan and Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserves, which are home to the endangered giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, takin and crested ibis.[5]

Over much of its length, the Xi'an–Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line largely parallels existing railways: the Yangpingguan–Ankang railway in southwestern Shaanxi (between Hanzhong and the Yangpingguan junction), and the Baoji–Chengdu railway in Sichuan (from Yangpingguan to Chengdu). However, the section from Xi'an to Hanzhong, crossing in tunnels under the Qin Mountains, follows an entirely new direct route.

High speed rail reforms meant direct Chengdu-Lanzhou and Chongqing-Xi'an services would use a combination of Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway and Chongqing–Lanzhou railway from where they met at Guangyuan. This would negate the need to build a separate direct Chongqing-Xi'an or Chengdu-Lanzhou lines.[6] However, with the announcement of the expanded 8+8 high speed rail grid, the two originally planned lines were reinstated in the masterplan.[7]

The Chengdu-Xi'an HSR have to cross the Qin Mountains; to achieve that, trains must climb continuously at 2.5% inclination (2.5 meters up per 100 meters run) for 47 kilometers.[8] Since most HSR trains with 250 km/h maximum speed are not equipped with sufficient redundant power to maintain max speed climbing, trains scheduled to run between Chengdu and Xi'an using 250 km/h max speed equipments have to reserve extra time for the tunnel. However, for trains that continue to Beijing via Xi'an-Zhengzhou High Speed Rail and Guangzhou-Beijing High Speed Rail, an equipment capable of 350 km/h operations must be utilized to reach regular speed on the Zhengzhou-Beijing part. With redundant power equipped for 350 km/h operations, they lose less speed going up the tunnel, thus spending less time; this has reportedly caused these trains to have to reduce speed to maintain proper separation.

History

• Nov. 1 2010: The Xian-Chengdu high-speed railway project received approval from the State Development and Planning Commission.[1][5]

Notes

1. "China plans high-speed rail link for Chengdu-Xi'an" A.P. Archived December 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine 2010-11-02
2. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/22/c_136771165_2.htm
3. http://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2010-11/12/content_1744203.htm
4. 我国首条连接西北和西南地区的高速铁路开工. 2012-11-11. Archived May 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, 2012-11-01
5. 中国首条穿越秦岭高铁年底开工 绕避生态敏感区. 中国新闻网 (in Chinese). 2010-11-03.
6. 市发改委：渝西高铁搁浅. 重庆到西安将借道西成高铁. 2012-09-28. Archived May 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Chongqing Ribao, 2012-09-28
7. 中國高鐵"八縱八橫"線路確定 包含京台高鐵. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
8. "Chengdu-Xi'an HSR" (in Chinese).