The Xi’an–Shiyan high-speed railway began operations on June 30, 2026, spanning 257 kilometers with seven stations. Designed for speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour, the line links Xi’an in Shaanxi Province with Shiyan in western Hubei Province, traversing the Qinling Mountains and running alongside the Han River.
Engineering and Investment Details
Construction started in 2021 to address geographical challenges posed by the mountainous terrain. Over 90% of the railway consists of bridges and tunnels. The project cost totaled 47.7 billion yuan. A major engineering feature is the Yunyang Hanjiang River Rail Bridge, a steel-truss cable-stayed structure with a composite girder-truss deck and a
main span of 420 meters.
Connectivity and Travel Time Reductions
The new rail line connects seamlessly with the existing Wuhan–Shiyan high-speed railway to establish a continuous 350 km/h corridor between Xi’an and Wuhan. This reduces travel time between Xi’an and Shiyan from more than six hours to about one hour by the fastest trains, and shortens the trip from Xi’an to Wuhan from 4 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 41 minutes.
Operations and Design
China Railway Xi’an Group will mainly operate the line using CR400AF/BF Fuxing trainsets capable of 350 km/h. Mao Lei serves as the project’s chief designer, describing the railway as traversing a “natural geological
museum” due to the complex landscapes it passes through. The line improves transport links between the northwest and central regions of China, historically separated by the Qinling Mountains.
