EconoScope | High-speed railway linking Chengdu and Chongqing to enhance national strategies

(ECNS) -- A high-speed railway connecting Chengdu City in China's Sichuan Province and its neighboring city Chongqing will run at speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour, enabling passengers to travel the 292-kilometer route in just 50 minutes, according to a recent statement from China's National Railway Administration.

Notably, while the railway is primarily designed for a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, certain sections have been built to accommodate even higher speeds. This line is China's first high-speed rail engineered with the potential to reach 400 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest railway not only in China but globally.

Photo shows the route of the high-speed railway between Chengdu City and Chongqing City. (Photo provided to China News Service)

Currently, high-speed trains between Chengdu and Chongqing depart every nine minutes, with daily passenger numbers exceeding 1 million.

The 400 km/h railway will further blur administrative boundaries between Chengdu and Chongqing, accelerating the flow of key resources, such as talent, capital, and technology, along the route with unprecedented efficiency.

The enhanced connectivity is expected to considerably strengthen collaboration between Chengdu and Chongqing, bringing into sharper focus a more competitive, innovation-driven, and resource-efficient regional economic hub.

But why will China's fastest high-speed rail debut in the Chengdu-Chongqing region? Behind this lies a profound consideration of national strategies.

This region stands as a key engine for China's economic growth. Data from the Chongqing government show that in 2024, the region's GDP reached 8.7 trillion yuan (about $1.2 trillion), accounting for 30.3% of the total GDP in western China. Its share of the national economy also rose from 6.3% in 2020 to 6.5%, demonstrating tremendous growth potential.

According to a national transportation network plan, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, as well as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, are identified as China's four major international comprehensive transportation hubs.

Strategically located as China's inland heartland, Chongqing holds a unique and vital position in the country's broader development plan, especially within the Western Development Strategy. This endows the Chengdu-Chongqing region with multiple distinct advantages, making it a prime candidate for the deployment of the country's fastest high-speed rail.

High-speed rail networks, like flowing blood, connect the vast territories of China into a tightly connected organism, ensuring the rapid mobilization and support of personnel and supplies between core regions even in extreme situations.

All these economic circles are rising as crucial pillars for China in navigating global competition.