Beijing, September 28 – China has successfully launched its very first high-speed railway line that will traverse multiple bays and trace the attractive coastline of Fujian, a southeastern province situated near the Taiwan Strait, as reported by state media on Thursday.
The inauguration of the 277-km (172-mile) Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou railway commenced with a bullet train departing from Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, on a bright Thursday morning, according to Xinhua.
This pioneering project marks China’s first cross-sea, rapid railway line equipped with high-speed bullet trains that will elegantly glide across three coastal bays, reaching top speeds of 350 km per hour (218 mph). This remarkable feat is attributed to China State Railway Group Co Ltd, the nation’s railway operator.
Particularly, this railway connection will significantly reduce travel time between Fuzhou and Xiamen, a bustling economic hub and a sought-after tourist destination, to just under an hour.
The railway’s design was entrusted to China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Ltd. As of 2022, China boasted an operational high-speed rail network spanning a colossal 42,000 km, with segments regularly operating at 350 km per hour extending to approximately 3,200 km as of June 2022.
This development aligns with China’s recent initiative to establish Fujian as a hub for integrated development with Taiwan, which stands directly opposite the province across the Taiwan Strait. The implementation of this railway link is projected to boost investment prospects and streamline travel connectivity between the regions.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that previous Chinese proposals to integrate Taiwan into the mainland’s rail network, involving the construction of the world’s longest undersea tunnel beneath the Taiwan Strait, have been met with skepticism by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council. They emphasized that such infrastructure projects necessitate bilateral discussions, reflecting Taiwan’s commitment to maintaining a distinct political identity. In a separate development, China recently introduced its inaugural commercial suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. This innovative 10.5 km (6.5 miles) monorail system operates fully separately, requiring human intervention only in emergency situations, according to China Daily.
