Striving to Promote High-Quality Development of Railways and Better Serve and Support Chinese-style Modernization

　　— Interview with Liu Zhenfang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group 

and Chairman of the Board of China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Beijing, March 6 (Reported by Fan Xi, Xinhua News Agency) - Railways, as the strategic, leading, and crucial infrastructure of the nation, are vital arteries of the national economy, significant projects affecting people’s livelihoods, and the backbone of the comprehensive transportation system. Their position and role in economic and social development are of paramount importance.

Just after the conclusion of the Spring Festival travel rush, on March 6, Liu Zhenfang, an NPC deputy, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the Board of CR, accepted an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters. Liu introduced the comprehensive implementation of the guiding principles from the 19th CPC National Congress and the Central Economic Work Conference by CR, driven by the comprehensive deepening of reform and innovation. Liu elaborated on the efforts to promote the high-quality development of railways, introducing the relevant circumstances of CR courageously serving and supporting Chinese modernization as a “l(fā)ocomotive”.

Accelerating the Construction of Modern Railway Infrastructure System

Liu Zhenfang stated that since the 18th CPC National Congress, CR has been committed to serving the overall interests of the Party and the country, and has vigorously promoted the high-quality development of railway construction. It has built the world’s largest high-speed railway network and an advanced railway network.

In 2023, with the development and improvement of the railway network, 3,637 kilometers of new railway lines were put into operation nationwide, including 2,776 kilometers of high-speed railway. Fixed asset investment reached 764.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.5%. This marks the year with the most railway investment scale completed since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Twenty-two counties have ended their history of no railway connection, and some counties and cities have stepped into the “high-speed railway era”.

By the end of 2023, the total operating mileage of national railways reached 159,000 kilometers, including 45,000 kilometers of high-speed railway. The main channels of the “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” high-speed railway network have been completed by 80%, with another 15% under construction. The layout and functional optimization of the railway network continue to improve.

“Currently, the overall level of our country’s railway infrastructure is among the best in the world, and we have the foundation and conditions to advance to a higher level of modernization,” Liu Zhenfang said. After the efforts of the 14th Five-Year Plan, by 2025, the total operating mileage of national railways will reach 165,000 kilometers, including 50,000 kilometers of high-speed railway. The railway network will cover 99.5% of the cities with more than 200,000 residents, and the high-speed railway network will cover 97.2% of the cities with more than 500,000 residents, effectively supporting regional coordinated development.

Liu also introduced that in 2024, CR will focus on accelerating the completion of the main channels of the “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” high-speed railway, integrating resources to fill the gaps in railway infrastructure in key western regions. CR will also increase efforts to implement national strategic passage projects such as outbound and inbound railway lines to Xinjiang, Tibet, and along border areas, and move faster to promote the construction of key projects such as high-speed railways along rivers and coasts, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. In addition, they will strive to build and put into operation high-quality projects such as the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High Speed Railway and the Hangzhou-Yiwu-Wenzhou High Speed Railway. Efforts will also be made to promote network integration, fill network gaps, strengthen chain projects, vigorously promote the construction of logistics infrastructure, and remove bottlenecks in major trunk lines and breakpoints in multimodal transport. The aim is to enhance the overall functionality of the railway network.

Deepening Supply-Side Structural Reform of Railway Transport

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China’s railways have undergone a historic transformation from bottleneck-constrained transportation to gradually adaptable transportation, with its supply capacity increasing year by year. In 2023, the national railways transported 3.68 billion passengers, with a peak daily passenger volume exceeding 20 million, and transported 3.91 billion tons of goods, reaching the best historical levels in both passenger and freight transportation.

Liu Zhenfang stated that new growth space will undoubtedly be opened up for railway passenger and freight transportation, with high-quality development being promoted and domestic demand being expanded. In 2024, CR will continue to deepen the supply-side structural reform of transportation, and optimize the supply of passenger and freight transportation products, to better serve the economic and social development as well as the production and life of the people.

Regarding passenger transportation, efforts will first be made to optimize the supply system of passenger transportation products. Specifically, CR will consolidate and expand the advantages of high-speed train products, increase the operation of overnight passenger trains, add stops for passenger trains at county stations, and continue to operate public-interest “slow trains” and trains for rural revitalization. Furthermore, CR will promote the market-oriented operation of tourist trains, flexibly implement the market-oriented pricing mechanism for high-speed train tickets, and promote the development of tourism and silver-haired economy. Secondly, efforts will also be made to improve the quality of passenger transportation services. Specifically, CR will organize annual activities to improve passenger service quality, promote the transformation and upgrade of normal-speed passenger train stations, gradually upgrade the train cars for normal-speed trains, improve the ticket purchasing experience on the railway 12306 platform, and organize special actions to improve the quality of onboard catering services to win a larger market share.

Regarding freight transportation, CR to thoroughly implement the CPC Central Committee’s decision to effectively reduce the overall logistics costs of the society. Efforts will be made to thoroughly restructure and reform the railway freight transportation, accelerate the construction of a modern logistics system with railways as the backbone, strengthen the implementation of the “road to rail” policy, and strive to play a leading role in effectively reducing the overall logistics costs of the society. First, CR will accelerate the transformation of railway freight transportation to modern logistics. Efforts will include promoting the construction of a modern logistics organizational system, vigorously carrying out logistics overall contracting and contract-based transportation, strengthening the management of the entire logistics chain, enhancing the intelligent logistics services of the 95306 platform, promoting “one-stop” transportation, and piloting logistics financial services, to provide customers with more convenient and efficient modern logistics services. Second, CR will vigorously promote the increase in quantity and quality of freight transportation. Efforts will include actively carrying out strategic cooperation “from terminal to terminal,” consolidating the foundation of bulk cargo transportation, expanding the range of express freight train services, increasing the operation of point-to-point express freight trains between major cities, developing fast and punctual transportation for freight products with strong timeliness, and actively expanding the market for untaxed goods transportation. Third, CR will comprehensively enhance the freight transportation capacity of the railway network. Efforts will include further strengthening the construction of normal-speed railways and freight transportation channels, improving railway station multimodal transportation services and distribution center services, accelerating the construction of dedicated railway lines, and providing strong support for reducing the overall logistics costs of the society and facilitating the smooth operation of domestic and international dual circulation.

Continuing to Advance Railway Self-reliance and Strength in Science and Technology

The key to Chinese modernization lies in technological modernization, and the railway’s self-reliance and strength in science and technology are crucial for promoting the construction of a great country in technology.

“Chinese high-speed railways are a successful example of independent innovation in our country. The overall technological level of our railways has entered the forefront of the world,” said Liu Zhenfang. In 2023, the Railway Technology Innovation Alliance was established, and the “CR450 Technology Innovation Project” made significant breakthroughs, with high-speed trains achieving a single-line speed of 453 kilometers per hour and a crossing speed of 891 kilometers per hour, further consolidating China’s leading position in the world’s high-speed railways.

Liu Zhenfang stated that technological innovation can foster new industries, new models, and new dynamics, and it is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. In 2024, CR will continue to promote independent research and development of key core technologies and their industrial application, continuously enhance the railway’s self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and empower the development of new quality productive forces in railways.

Firstly, fully leveraging its leading role, CR will coordinate the advantageous resources of alliance members with the platform of the Railway Technology Innovation Alliance, to further form a collective force for technological research and accelerate the transformation and industrialization of technological achievements. Secondly, CR will accelerate the research and development of key core technologies and application-oriented technological innovations, continue to deepen the “CR450 Technology Innovation Project” and intelligent high-speed railway technology research, strengthen technological innovation in safety assurance, key equipment, infrastructure, and operational services, and increase research efforts on the application of cutting-edge technologies in the railway field. Thirdly, CR will focus on improving informatization and network security protection, coordinate the promotion of digital railway construction, and continue to promote the integration, interconnection, and sharing of railway information systems, to empower railway innovation and development through digitalization.

Actively Promoting Chinese Railway’s “Going Global” Strategy

Liu Zhenfang stated that connectivity is crucial for building the “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI), and railways are an important part of infrastructure connectivity.

In 2023, the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway commenced operation, becoming a “golden signboard” of cooperation between China and Indonesia under the BRI. The international golden corridor of the China-Laos Railway has increasingly demonstrated its importance, while 17,000 CRE trains operated, transporting 1.9 million TEUs throughout the year, representing respective increases of 6% and 18% year on year. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor transported 860,000 TEUs throughout the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 14%, effectively ensuring the stable and smooth operation of the international industrial supply chain.

In 2024, CR will strengthen international railway cooperation, actively promote the interconnection of railway infrastructure, and enhance the quality and efficiency of international railway transportation, to better serve and support the expansion of higher-standard opening up. Firstly, CR will fully leverage the coordination mechanism of the CRE trains, continuously improve the transportation capacity of key ports and channels, expand the operation of the CRE trains throughout the entire timetable, and promote its development towards higher quality, better efficiency, and greater safety. Furthermore, CR will promote the high-quality development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor freight trains in a coordinated way, to optimize the routes of its train operations and cover more cities in the western region.

Second, CR will focus on building a three-dimensional connectivity network for the BRI, and strengthen the maintenance of equipment and facilities, and the safety management of operations of the China-Laos Railway, to effectively manage and utilize the China-Laos Railway international corridor. Furthermore, CR will promote the continued safe and stable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway, and solidly advance the construction of the Novi Sad-Subotica Section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway. Thirdly, CR will enhance exchanges with international cooperation organizations and foreign railway institutions to promote the internationalization of Chinese railway standards.