China is aiming to have 60,000 kilometers of high-speed rail active by 2030, cementing its status as the world’s leader on railway infrastructure.
The nation’s rail investment is set to reach the equivalent of $82.08 billion in 2025, with plans to add over 2,000 kilometers of track in just one year.
Newsweek contacted the China State Railway Group for comment on this story via email.
Why It Matters
Southeast Asia has long been a hub of railway development, but China leads within the region. China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula have all outpaced the global community in the advance of high-speed rail, with China alone accounting for double the combined length of the rest of the world’s high-speed rails.
What To Know
China’s State Railway Group, which manages the nation’s train systems, said that it planned to have 180,000 kilometers of railway up and running by 2030, with half that amount being high-speed rail.
By contrast, the U.S. has less than a thousand kilometers of high-speed rail; by the end of the decade, China aims to have 60 times the length of track as the U.S.
Workers check a high-speed train at a maintenance workshop in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on December 10, 2024. China is aiming to have 60,000 kilometers of high-speed rail online by 2030. Workers check a high-speed train at a maintenance workshop in Nanjing, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on December 10, 2024. China is aiming to have 60,000 kilometers of high-speed rail online by 2030. Getty Images
China’s railway system carries 4 billion passengers a year, and its passenger population is increasing as the country continues, with an increase of over 10 percent in the last year.
High-speed rail has been central to the country’s expansion, with China accumulating enough track to circle the Earth. The 2030 target will start with a busy 2025, with officials aiming to add 2,600 kilometers of track to the existing network.
China’s investment has also benefitted other nations in the region, with future plans for countries like Vietnam, one of China’s closest trading partners, underway in 2025. Vietnam will be building 400 kilometers of rail to connect itself to China’s internal tracks, benefitting both freight and passenger lines.
Trade relationships like these have led to growth in China’s freight trade, with the nation’s rails transporting a total of 3.99 billion tons of cargo in 2024, a 1.9 percent increase from the year before.
What People Are Saying
In a statement, the China State Railway Group said: “The country’s fixed-asset investment in the railway sector is projected to reach 590 billion yuan (about 82.08 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, with an estimated 2,600 km of new rail tracks set to become operational within the year.”
What Happens Next
2025 will see Chinese officials lay the groundwork for future expansion, with an end-of-year goal of 2,600 kilometers of new track.
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