Beijing–Shanghai railway

This article is about the lower-speed rail line between Beijing and Shanghai. For the new high-speed line, see Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway.

The Beijing–Shanghai railway or Jinghu railway (simplified Chinese: 京沪铁路; traditional Chinese: 京滬鐵路; pinyin: Jīnghù tiělù) is a railway line between Beijing and Shanghai.

Beijing–Shanghai railway
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, an important part of the railway, was opened for traffic in 1968
Overview
Other name(s)	Jinghu railway
Native name	京沪铁路
Status	Operational
Owner	China Railway
Locale	North and East China
Termini	Beijing Shanghai
Stations	89
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	China Railway Beijing Group China Railway Jinan Group China Railway Shanghai Group
History
Opened	1968
Technical
Line length	1,451.4 km (901.9 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed	160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) (operations) 200–250 kilometres per hour (120–160 mph) (design)
Signalling	Automatic block signaling
Route map km Cross-city railway to Beijing West 0.0 Beijing Beijing–Harbin railway to Harbin Beijing–Tianjin ICR to Tianjin 8.6 Beijing South Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao Beijing–Kowloon railway to Beijing West Beijing Fengtai Beijing–Guangzhou railway to Guangzhou Fengtai–Shacheng railway to Shacheng Fengtai West marshalling yard to Beijing–Kowloon railway 33.1 Huangcun Beijing–Kowloon railway to Changping 73.2 Guangyang Yangcun Tianjin–Jizhou railway to Jizhou Hangouzhen Tianjin–Bazhou railway to Bazhou Nancang–Caozhuang line Beicang Nancang marshalling yard Wangqinzhuang Tianjin North Tianjin Tianjin–Shanhaiguan railway to Shanhaiguan Tianjin cross-city railway 136.1 Tianjin West Caozhuang Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Beijing South Tianjin South Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao Yangliuqing Jinghai Shuozhou–Huanghua railway to Shenchi South│to Huanghua Port 251.2 Cangzhou 291.5 Botou Shijiazhuang–Dezhou railway to Shijiazhuang 365.8 Dezhou Beijing Group Jinan Group Huangheya Dezhou–Dajiawa railway to Dajiawa Pingyuan Handan–Jinan railway to Handan South Yancheng North Yancheng Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Beijing South Luokou Yellow River Railway Bridges Qiaonan connection to Jinan Railway Jiaoji Railway to Qingdao 470 Jixi marshalling yard│Jinan West Jinan Jinan Railway Dangjiazhuang Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao Taishan–Feicheng railway to Feicheng 555.8 Taishan Xindian–Taian railway to Linzi Shanxi–Henan–Shandong railway to Watang│to Jufeng Ciyao Ciyao–Laiwu railway to Dongdu & Laiwu East Yanzhou North marshalling yard Xinxiang–Yanzhou railway to Xinxiang 640.4 Yanzhou Chengjiazhuang Yanzhou–Shijiusuo railway to Rizhao 673 Zoucheng Jingting Jingting–Linyi railway to Zhubao 735.5 Zaozhuang West Jinan Group Shanghai Group link to Longhai railway Xuzhou North marshalling yard Longhai railway to Lanzhou, Ürümqi 802.9 Xuzhou Xuzhou South yard Longhai railway to Lianyungang Fuliji–Jiahezhai railway to Huaibei Fuliji Suzhou–Huai'an railway to Huai'an 877.9 Suzhou Old and new bridge over Huai River 968.2 Bengbu Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao│to Beijing South Bengbu East marshalling yard Shuijiahu–Bengbu railway to Shuijiahu 1,094.4 Chuzhou North Nanjing–Xi'an railway to Xi'an Yongningzhen Nanjing–Qidong railway to Qidong Linchang Puzhen Nanjing North former Nanjing Railway Ferry │ Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge Nanjing West Nanjing EMU depot Shanghai–Nanjing ICR Shanghai–Nanjing Railway 1,150.1 Nanjing Shanghai–Nanjing ICR to Shanghai Nanjing Chengbei loop line Xingweicun Nanjing–Tongling railway to Tongling West Nanjing East marshalling yard Ningxi Railway (part of the original route) Qixiashan Qixiashan North to Xinshengwei Port Longtan Xiashu Gaozi Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Beijing South 1,213.9 Zhenjiang Lianhuaiyang–Zhenjiang HSR to Dongji Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao 1,242.1 Danyang Danyang East Lücheng Benniu Xinzhazhen 1,286.3 Changzhou Qishuyan Wuxi North 1,325.4 Wuxi Wuxi South Zhoujingxiang Shuofang Wangting Xushuguan Suzhou West 1,367.7 Suzhou Waikuatang Weiting Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Nanjing South 1,402.2 Kunshan Lujiabang Nantong–Shanghai railway to Nantong West Anting West│Anting North Anting Beijing–Shanghai HSR to Shanghai Hongqiao Huangdu Shanghai–Kunming railway to Kunming Fengbang Nanxiang North Nanxiang marshalling yard Shanghai–Nanjing ICR to Nanjing Jiangqiaozhen Nanxiang–Hejiawan railway to Hejiawan Nanxiang loop line Shanghai West 1,451.4 Shanghai Shanghai North Shanghai Railway Museum km

The line has a total length of 1,462 km (908 mi) and connects the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu. It is commonly referred to as the Jinghu railway, taking on the abbreviated names of the two terminal cities. In Chinese, Jing means "capital" and refers to Beijing, and Hu is the abbreviated name for Shanghai.

History

The Beijing–Shanghai railway is composed of three sections. These three sections are some of the earliest railways in China, built before 1910 during the Qing dynasty. The first section is from Beijing to Tianjin, constructed as part of the Imperial Railways of Northern China between 1897 and 1900.

The second section is from Tianjin to Pukou – a suburb of Nanjing – and used to be called the Tianjin–Pukou railway.

The third section is from Nanjing to Shanghai, built between 1905 and 1908. This section is called Shanghai–Nanjing railway. During 1927–1949, however, when China's capital was Nanjing, this section alone was called the "Jinghu" railway.

Between Pukou and Xiaguan, the railway crosses the Yangtze River. Before the completion of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in 1968, the trains were ferried across car-by-car. Passengers could also disembark at Nanjing North (Pukou), take a passenger ferry, and take a train again at the then Nanjing main station south of the river (now known as Nanjing West).

After the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was completed in 1968, these three sections were linked together and renamed as a single Beijing–Shanghai or Jinghu railway.

In May 2007, electrification of the section between Fuliji railway station and Linchang railway station was completed.

Current status

The railway line is the principal line between Beijing and Shanghai and along with the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway, it serves as one of the busiest rail corridors in China. It has dual tracks between Beijing and Shanghai, and the full length of the railway has been electrified. The entire line is dual tracked. Passenger rail service now offers overnight service on CRH Sleepers (D-series trains).

D type express overnight sleeper bullet trains have now commenced operation between Beijing and Nanjing/Shanghai/Hangzhou.. There are currently 6 overnight D bullet trains. Overnight Bullet trains take between 9 hours and 23 minutes to 9 hours, 36 minutes between Beijing and Nanjing and were Soft sleeper only but now changed to sleeper first-class and sleeper second-class, which provide better facilities than Soft and Hard sleepers on conventional trains respectively. Some trains also have second-class seat cars.

On June 30, 2011, the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway opened and runs roughly parallel to the Beijing–Shanghai railway. The opening of the high-speed railway relieved the Beijing–Shanghai railway from overcrowding, and it's increasingly shifted to freight traffic. As of 2017, two regular trains per day (not including aforementioned overnight sleepers) go the full way from Beijing to Shanghai on the old line, although hundreds of trains still use selected sections of it.

See also

• Rail transport in the People's Republic of China
• List of railways in China
• Stations on the Beijing–Shanghai railway