Train C9309, traveling at 350 km/h, departed from Yan'an station for Xi'an city at 10 am on 26/12, marking the operational launch of the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway line.

The line spans 299 km, traversing the Loess Plateau and connecting 19 districts and counties across 4 cities in Shaanxi province. During its initial phase, 38 trains operate daily. The shortest journey from Xi'an station to Yan'an station takes only 68 minutes.

The new railway line has extended China's high-speed rail network beyond the 50,000 km mark, representing a 32% increase since the end of 2020. This network is the world's longest, surpassing the combined length of all other nations' high-speed railways and extending approximately 10,000 km beyond the Earth's circumference.

Fuxing train parked at Yan'an station on the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway line, morning of 26/12. *Photo: Xinhua*

China has actively promoted high-speed railway construction in recent years to enhance transportation connectivity. Between 2021 and 2025, the country built and put into operation 12,000 km of high-speed rail.

"China's high-speed railway has achieved historical accomplishments and realized high-quality development, becoming a national symbol and a vivid testament to China's modernization", said Yu Jian, an expert at the China Academy of Railway Sciences.

China's high-speed rail system now serves 97% of cities with populations exceeding 500,000, transporting approximately 16 million people daily—equivalent to the population of a megacity. The system connects major economic centers and urban clusters, as well as less developed districts and regions, playing a vital role in fostering socio-economic development in these areas.

Hong Hanh (According to Xinhua, AFP)