Chongqing – At 8:00 AM on May 9, 2025, the departure of test train No. 55901 from Chongqing East Railway Station marked the successful completion of joint commissioning and testing on the Chongqing–Xiamen High-Speed Railway's Chongqing East–Qianjiang section. The project has now officially entered the operational testing phase.

The Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-speed Railway will boost connections between the Chengdu-Chongqing area, the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan cluster, and the Haixi Economic Zone. It enables eastern technologies and expertise to flow west more efficiently, while the west’s resources and market potential support growth in the east, strengthening two-way cooperation along the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-Speed Railway is part of China’s national railway development plan. Running from Chongqing Station through districts like Yuzhong, Nan’an, and Qianjiang, the line is designed for speeds up to 350 km/h.

The test run, covering the stretch from Chongqing East to Qianjiang, spans approximately 250 kilometers and includes seven stations, one (Qianjiang Station) being rebuilt and six (Chongqing East, Banan, Nanchuan North, Shuijiang West, Wulong South, Pengshui West) being newly constructed.

The Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-Speed Railway entered the Nanchuanbei Railway Station. (Photo/Chongqing Railway)

Yang Zhiyong, the railway's commander, explained that the operation test focuses on assessing the transportation organization's adaptability under normal and abnormal conditions. 

This includes fault simulations, emergency rescue drills, train operation diagram parameter testing, and running trains according to the schedule. The goal is to verify whether the operational organization methods meet the requirements and provide technical data for optimizing transportation plans.

Construction of the Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen High-Speed Railway began in May 2020, with track laying starting on October 9, 2024. By December 15, the entire mainline track was completed. Joint debugging and testing began on March 9, 2025, and the operation test phase commenced on May 9, 2025.

Once operational, the new section will reduce travel time from Chongqing's downtown to Qianjiang District from the current 4 hours to under 1 hour, a significant development for the Yangtze River Economic Belt and a major enhancement to the high-speed railway network.