China debut coastal high-speed rail, Fujian, along Taiwan Strait bays.
On Thursday morning, a bullet train left Fuzhou, the capital of the Fujian province in east China, paving the way for the start of the 277-km (172-mile) Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou line.
According to official media, which cited China official Railway Group, the nation’s railway operator, it will be the first cross-sea, rapid line in China using bullet trains that can reach top speeds of 350 km/h (218 mph). The trains will cross bridges across three coastal bays.
It will take less than one hour to travel from Fuzhou to Xiamen, an important business hub and popular tourism resort. China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group designed the railway project.
In 2022, China had installed 42,000 km of high-speed rail, and as of June 2022, more than 3,200 km of this network regularly ran at 350 km per hour.
China recently disclosed the specifics of its plan to develop Fujian into an area for shared growth with Taiwan, which is situated across the province. China expects the connection to improve commercial opportunities and ease travel.
According to state media, a Chinese government official stated that the province of Fujian has established an integrated multidimensional transportation network, making it “technically possible to construct a high-speed transport passage linking the province with Taiwan.”
Separately, earlier this week, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, witnessed the debut of China’s first commercial suspended monorail line. Fully automated, the 10.5 km monorail only needs human operation in an emergency.
