Rail Transit is Ushering in a Great New Era in China
The pace of development in China over the last few years is truly staggering, and on track to continue as the Asian Century progresses. Nowhere is this clearer than in the expansion of coverage and the increase in speed and efficiency of the country’s transportation infrastructure, in itself a key factor in driving forward the pace of development of any number of other sectors and industries.
What used to be a 4 hour train ride from Shanghai to Hangzhou or Nanjing can now be made in under an hour, while longer-distance routes from Hong Kong, Kunming or Beijing can now be made in half the time, whilst train frequency and punctuality have improved dramatically.
By 2020, China’s railway lines under operation will surpass 150,000 kilometers, or almost four times the circumference of the planet. High-speed railway lines will also exceed 30,000 kilometers by next year, connecting more than 80% of China’s cities with populations above 200,000 people.
Within China’s cities, by the end of last year 5,800 kilometers of urban rail transit lines covering dozens of cities across China completed construction. In 2018, many cities unveiled new subway lines, with 22 new lines adding hundreds of kilometers of subterranean track laid underneath the country’s busiest metropolises. And by next year, the operating mileage of China’s metropolitan rail will reach 7,700 kilometers.
By 2035, China will have the most advanced and well-developed railway network in the world, extending comprehensive rail transit coverage between all its cities as well as basic coverage pervading much of the country, whilst providing urban-center rapid access within all of its major cities.
Driving Smart Rail into an Intelligent Future
The 14th China International Exhibition of for Intercity and Urban Mass Transit, also known as Rail+Metro China 2019, will take place November 12th – 14th, 2019. This year the show’s theme will focus on Driving Smart Rail into an Intelligent Future. Over 200 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors are expected to participate in the show.
Rail+Metro China launched in 2002 in Shanghai, with the support of China’s Ministry of Transport, the National Reform & Development Commission and the Shanghai Municipal Government. Seventeen years later, it has become one of the most authoritative and established communications platform for China’s urban and intercity rail industries, enjoying a strong reputation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The China International Railway Conference for Urban & Intercity Transit, or CIRC, is an influential multi-platform conference taking place alongside Rail+Metro China with the endorsement of APEC and the firm support of China’s Ministry of Transport and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. CIRC 2018 presented a line-up 120 industry leaders, experts and influencers as speakers, with over 1500 delegates in attendance from around the world.
In November 2019, CIRC 2019 will host a series of forums, seminars and workshops covering everything from railway investment & construction to urban railway operation and maintenance, modern trams to smart rail technology and much more besides.
This year’s show will hit new heights, bringing together the rail industry in an exploratory celebration of insight and possibility. Join us to grasp the future.
