China Launches First High-Speed Rail Along Fujian Coastline
In a significant development, China inaugurated its high-speed rail line, spanning various bays and tracing the southeastern coastline of Fujian province near the Taiwan Strait, according to reports from state media on Thursday.
The maiden voyage of a bullet train took place on Thursday morning, departing from Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian in eastern China. This marked the commencement of operations for the Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou railway, covering a distance of 277 kilometers (approximately 172 miles), as reported by Xinhua.
Distinguished as China’s first cross-sea high-speed rail network, this route features bullet trains that will traverse bridges across three coastal bays, achieving peak speeds of 350 kilometers per hour (equivalent to 218 miles per hour). The information stems from China State Railway Group Co Ltd, the country’s railway operator.
The travel time between Fuzhou and Xiamen, a prominent economic center and tourist attraction, is poised to be reduced to less than an hour, courtesy of this innovative transportation initiative.
The railway project’s design is attributed to China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Ltd. By the year 2022, China boasted an operational high-speed railway network spanning 42,000 kilometers. Notably, the length of high-speed rail lines consistently operating at speeds of 350 kilometers per hour approached 3,200 kilometers as of June 2022.
China has recently unveiled plans to transform Fujian into an integrated development zone with Taiwan, which lies opposite the province. This endeavor is expected to bolster investment prospects and streamline travel between the two regions.
A representative from the Chinese government noted that a comprehensive multi-dimensional transportation network has been established in Fujian. This network, according to state media, “will make it technically possible to construct a high-speed transport passage linking the province with Taiwan.”
However, it is pertinent to highlight that Taiwan has previously dismissed Chinese proposals to integrate the island into the rail network. Such a connection would necessitate the construction of the world’s lengthiest undersea tunnel beneath the Taiwan Strait.
Responding to these developments, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, responsible for formulating China-related policies, emphasized that infrastructure projects of this nature cannot be “unilaterally decided.” The Council also underscored that even China’s overseas Belt and Road investments must be subject to discussion and agreement with the host countries.
It is noteworthy that China severed formal communication channels with Taiwan’s government back in 2016.
In a separate development earlier in the week, China introduced its inaugural commercial suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. This 10.5-kilometer (approximately 6.5-mile) monorail is fully automated and requires human intervention solely in emergency situations, as reported by China Daily.
