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History of rail transport in China

The history of rail transport in China began with foreign assistance. Since then, it has made advances with domestic and foreign technology.

Qing Dynasty era

Early efforts

The first railroad in China, the Woosung Road

(or Woosung Railway), began its service in July 1876, connecting Shanghai and Woosung (now Baoshan District). This railway was, however, built by Jardine & Matheson without approval from the Qing government. In the eyes of the Qing officials, the locomotive was nothing but an iron monster. Soon, it was purchased by the government and was demolished in October 1877.

The second railway in China was a 10 km railway from Tangshan to Xugezhuang, built in 1881 to transport the coals from the coal mine in Tangshan. As was the case in Shanghai, many officers in the Qing government opposed building this railway. Fortunately, the railway was backed by the powerful Viceroy of Zhili, Li Hongzhang, and survived. Nevertheless, further extension of this railway was delayed due to the opposition. The western extension from Xugezhuang to Tianjin was finished by 1888. The eastern extension started from Tangshan, and by 1894, it had reached Shanhaiguan and Suizhong. This railway was then called "Guanneiwai Railway" (literally, inner and outer Shanhaiguan railway).

The next effort was made by Taiwan Governor Liu Mingchuan. During 1887 to 1893, 107 km of railway tracks were laid from Keelung to Taipei to Hsinchu. However, this railway was demolished for modernization later when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.

Fast development during 1895-1911

The Qing's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War was a tragedy to China. Ironically, it stimulated the nation's railway development. On one hand, the emperor and the court officers finally understood the importance of the railway transportation during this war. On the other hand, the Qing government became so weak after the war that it was forced by the great powers to grant permissions to construct railways in China as well as many privileges, such as settlement or mining along the railway. By 1911, there were around 9000 km of rails in China. Most of the rails used the standard gauge (1435 mm).

The imperial capital, Beijing, was designed as the center of the Chinese railway network. Several lines spoked out from Beijing. Three main lines are Jinghan railway, Jingfeng railway, and Jinpu railway. Jinghan railway was from Beijing to Hankou. The construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1906. The Guangneiwai railway was extended west to Beijing and east to Fengtian by 1912 and renamed as Jingfeng railway. Jinpu railway was build during 1908-1912. It started at Tianjin, connecting Jingfeng railway, and ended at Pukou.

Jingzhang railway (from Beijing to Zhangjiakou) was the first railway designed and constructed by Chinese in 1905-1909. This railway crossed the rugged mountains in the north of Beijing. The chief engineer was Zhan Tianyou. He is called the Father of China's Railway.

Zhengtai railway was a railway to Taiyuan, finished in 1907. It connected Jinghan railway at Shijiazhuang. (In the original plan, this railway connected Jianghan railway at Zhengding. That's why it was called Zheng-Tai railway.)

Jiaoji Railway (Qingdao to Jinan in Shandong) was built by Germany and completed in 1904.

Sino-Vietnamese Railway was a 855km railway built by France during 1904-1910, connecting Haiphong, Vietnam with Kunming. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou is 466 km and the section within Vietnam is 389 km. This railway used 1000mm gauge due to the mountain terrain along the route. Currently, it is the only main line in China using narrow gauge.

Shanghai to Nanjing railway was built in 1905-1908. Construction of the 189 km railway between Shanghai and Hangchow (now Hangzhou) was completed in 1909.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway was completed in 1911, connecting the southern city of Canton (now Guangzhou) with Kowloon in the then British crown colony of Hong Kong.

Chinese Eastern Railway

The Chinese Eastern Railway was a single-tracked line extending (and shortening) the famous world's longest railroad, the Trans-Siberian Railway, from near the Siberian city of Chita via Harbin across northern inner Manchuria to the Russian port of Vladivostok. This route drastically reduced the travel distance required along the original main northern route to Vladivostok (this original route lay completely outside China).

A construction concession was granted by China in 1896 through northern Inner Manchuria, running from near Chita via Harbin to Vladivostok, and construction was drastically accelerated after Russia concluded a twenty-five year lease of Liaodong from China.

Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway started in July 1897 along the line Tarskaya (east of Chita) - Hailar - Harbin - Nikolsk. Officially, traffic on the line started in November 1901, but regular passenger traffic from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok across the Trans-Siberian railway started in July 1903.

At this same time in 1898, a 550-mile spur line, most of which later formed the South Manchuria Railway, was started from Harbin down through eastern Manchuria, along the Liaodong Peninsula, to the ice-free deep water port at Lüshun, a town almost at the tip of the peninsula, which Russia was fortifying and overhauling into a first class strategic naval base and marine coaling station for their Far Seas Fleet and Merchant Marine. This town was known in the west as Port Arthur.

The Chinese Eastern Railway was essentially completed in 1902, beating the stretch around Lake Baikal, by fourteen years. Until that portion was completed, cargo on the Trans-Siberian Railway had to be transshipped by ferry the 632 miles along the lake's length.

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Russia lost both Liaodong Peninsula and much of the South Manchurian branch of the railway to Japan. The rail line from Changchun to Lüshun transferred to Japanese control, and now became the South Manchuria Railway.

The original gauge used in the eastern railway was the Russia 1520mm broad gauge. Later, when Japan gradually took control this railway, the gauge was changed to the standard gauge (1435mm).

South Manchuria Railway

The South Manchuria Railway Company was a company founded by Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War, and operated in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. The company was created when, in accordance with the Treaty of Portsmouth, the southernmost section (from Changchun to Lüshun) of the South Manchuria branch of the China Far East Railway was transferred to Japanese control along with the Kwantung Leased Territory. From 1906 or 1910 until 1925, the company also operated the Korean railway system.

Republic of China

Before World War II

During World War II

1945-1949

In 1945, just after the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese mainland claimed 27,000 km of rail, and it was estimated about 23,000 km was usable. By 1948, the number of usable kilometers of rail was estimated at only 8000 km due to the Chinese Civil War. The Communists actively sabotaged rail lines to disrupt the ruling Nationalists (Kuomintang), and the Nationalists scavenged lesser used railways in order to repair the most important ones.

People's Republic of China

In 1951, after extensive investment in reconstruction, the Communists, who established the People's Republic of China (PRC) in October 1949, had restored the usable network to about 22,000 km. Most of the early reconstruction (about 11,000 km) was in Manchuria because Soviet and Japanese occupation there reduced the amount of sabotage between the fighting parties, allowing for quick repairs. On October 14 1949, the cross-border service on the Kowloon-Canton Railway was suspended as a result of the communist takeover, and it was not resumed until April 4 1979.

Railway links to the vast western China

By 1952, Longhai Railway finally reached its long-planned western terminus - Lanzhou. Lanzhou was then developed as a major railway hub in the northwestern China. A 1900 km railway was built from Lanzhou to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, between 1952-1962. The railway to Xizang or Tibet, however, was more difficult to build due to the high altitude and terrain. Railway was first extended to Xining. By 1984, another section between Xining and Golmud was completed. It was not until 2006, the whole Qingzang railway finished, linking Lhasa with rest of China. Since then, every province-level entity in the People's Republic of China has a railway network.

The end of steam era

Before the 1980s, due to the low labor cost, ease of manufacture, and cheap coal price, steam locomotives dominated in the Chinese railway. During 1980s-1990s, diesel and electric locomotives gradually replaced the steam engines on the main lines. On some provincial rails, however, steam locomotives were not retired until the 21st century. In December 2005, the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey on the Jitong railway, marking the end of the steam era. Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used on the industrial railways in China.