On June 30, 2026, a new high-speed rail line connecting Xi’an in Shaanxi Province with Shiyan in western Hubei Province officially opened. The 257 km route crosses the Qinling Mountains, a longstanding natural barrier between northwest and central China, and links the Yellow River and Yangtze River watersheds.
Construction and engineering features
Construction started in 2021 with a total investment of 47.7 billion yuan. More than 90% of the line consists of bridges and tunnels to traverse the mountainous terrain. A major structural achievement on the route is the Yunyang Hanjiang River Rail Bridge, which has a cable-stayed steel-truss design and a 420 meter
central span with a composite girder-truss deck.
Operations and connectivity
The line begins at the newly opened Xi’an Dong station and connects seamlessly with the Wuhan–Shiyan high-speed railway. This integration creates a continuous corridor allowing trains to operate at speeds up to 350 km/h between Xi’an and Wuhan. Travel time from Xi’an to Shiyan has been cut from over six hours to about one hour, while the journey between Xi’an and Wuhan is now 2 hours 41 minutes, down from 4 hours 30 minutes.
Official statements and design significance
China Railway Xi’an Group manages the route, primarily using CR400AF/BF Fuxing trainsets capable of 350 km/h. Chinese media have
described this as one of the most challenging mountain high-speed railways in the country. The line’s lead designer, Mao Lei, characterized the railway as running through a natural geological museum, emphasizing its complex and unique environment.
The project overcomes the historic transportation limitations imposed by the Qinling Mountains, facilitating faster regional economic exchange between northwest and central China.
