Chongqing to start building high-speed railway to Changsha

The construction of the Chongqing-Changsha special passenger line, with a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour, is expected to begin in 2011. This is the second special passenger line under construction in Chongqing.

According to the Chongqing Development and Reform Commission, as the passenger and freight transport of the currently-running Chongqing-Huaihua railway is extremely saturated, the construction of the Chongqing-Changsha special passenger line has now become even more urgent.

The Chongqing-Changsha railway is divided into three sections, namely the Chongqing-Qianjiang section, the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde section and the Changde-Changsha section, which will be constructed in different stages.

Currently, the Ministry of Railways has launched preliminary work for the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde section and the Changde-Changsha section, and construction is expected to start in 2011.

The Chongqing-Qianjiang section has currently been included in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration inter-city railway network plan as a near-term project. The completion time of the Chongqing-Qianjiang section may be slightly behind the other two sections.

However, passengers from Chongqing to Changsha can still first take the Chongqing-Qianjiang section of the Chongqing-Huaihua railway and then take the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde section and the Changde-Changsha section.

According to sources, the Chongqing-Changsha special passenger line will be completed and put into operation by 2015. It will take only three hours from Chongqing to Changsha if the train runs at its designed speed of 200 to 250 kilometers per hour.

After the line is completed, the "Chengdu-Chongqing-Changsha-Guangzhou-Shenzhen" rapid network and the "Chengdu-Chongqing-Changsha-Nanchang-Hangzhou-Shanghai" rapid network will also be formed to establish a closer relationship between Chongqing and cities on the southeastern coast.

By People's Daily Online

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