China targets 60,000 km high-speed rail by 2030

China targets 60,000 km high-speed rail by 2030 as per data released by country’s railway operator.

China plans to increase its operating high-speed rail network to approximately 60,000 km by 2030, a significant increase from the 48,000 km expected at the end of 2024, according to data released by the country’s railway operator on Thursday.

As part of ongoing improvements to its railway infrastructure, China’s total railway network is projected to reach 180,000 km by 2030, up from 162,000 km in 2024, as reported by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway).

China Railway also announced that the nation’s fixed-asset investment in the railway sector is expected to reach 590 billion yuan (roughly 82.08 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025. Additionally, about 2,600 km of new rail tracks are anticipated to become operational during the year.

In 2024, China’s railway network recorded a new high of 4.08 billion passenger trips, representing a 10.8 percent increase from 2023. This figure is projected to rise further in 2025, with an estimated 4.28 billion trips.

China’s railways also transported 3.99 billion tonnes of cargo in 2024, marking a 1.9 percent increase compared to the previous year, continuing a trend of growth for eight consecutive years.

In 2024, China’s fixed-asset investment in the railway sector grew by 11.3 percent year-on-year, totaling 850.6 billion yuan, according to China Railway.

Additionally, China-Europe freight trains completed 19,000 trips in 2024, transporting 2.07 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods, reflecting a 10 percent and 9 percent year-on-year increase in trips and goods transported, respectively.