The Chengdu-Dujiangyan High Speed Railway is a dual-track

Double track

A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...

, electrified

Railway electrification system

A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...

, passenger-dedicated, high-speed rail line

High-speed rail in China

High-speed rail in China refers to any commercial train service in the China with an average speed of or higher. By that measure, China has the world's longest high-speed rail network with about of routes in service as of June 2011 including of rail lines with top speeds of...

 in Sichuan Province, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. It connects the provincial capital, Chengdu

Chengdu

Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...

 with the satellite city of Dujiangyan

Dujiangyan City

Dujiangyan is a county-level city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China. It has an area of 1208 square kilometers and a population of 600,000 in 2003....

 in Guan County. The line is 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) in length with 15 stations. China Railways CRH1

China Railways CRH1

The CRH1 EMU is a Chinese high-speed train based on Bombardier technology and built by a Chinese-Canadian joint venture between Bombardier and Sifang at Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation factory in Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China...

 train sets on the line reach a maximum speed of 220 kilometres per hour (136.7 mph) and make the full-trip in 30 minutes. The line was built in 18 months and entered into operation on May 12, 2010. The railway is built to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

Route

The railway runs from the Chengdu North Railway Station

Chengdu North Railway Station

Chengdu North Railway Station Chengdu North Railway Station Chengdu North Railway Station (Simplified Chinese: 火车北站站 is a railway station of Chengguan Intercity Railway located in Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China....

 to Dujiangyan’s Qingchengshan Station

Mount Qingcheng Railway Station

Mount Qingcheng Railway Station is a railway station of Chengguan Intercity Railway located in Sichuan, People's Republic of China....

 and passes through Pi County

Pi County

Pi County is a county within Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China. It is located just 10 km north-west of Chengdu's city centre...

. Bridges and tunnels account for 67.8% of the line's total length. The longest viaduct

Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

 is some 21 kilometres (13 mi). The line is built to withstand future earthquakes. Sound insulation panels were installed alongside the railway to reduce train noise near the tracks. Clear panels allow passengers to enjoy rural scenery along this route.
The line shortened rail travel time from Chengdu to Dujiangyan by half, and will bring more tourist traffic to Dujiangyan’s World Heritage Sites, the city's ancient irrigation system

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. It is located in the Min River in Sichuan province, China, near the capital Chengdu. It is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region...

 and Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng is a mountain in Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China. It is amongst the most important centres of Taoism in China. In Taoism mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzhi. As a centre of the Daoist religion it became host to many temples. The mountain has 36...

, a sacred Daoist mountain.

Trains

The route uses CRH1 trains in eight-car train sets, which can carry 661 passengers. Each day, 15 pairs of trains are scheduled daily between Chengdu and Dujiangyan’s Qingchengshan Station.

History

On May 28, 2008, 16 days after the Wenchuan Earthquake devastated Dujiangyan and the western suburbs of Chengdu, the Chengdu city government and the Ministry of Railways

Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China

The Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China is a member of the State Council of the People's Republic of China...

agreed to build a high-speed railway line as part of the reconstruction of the disaster zone. Construction began on November 4, 2008 and involved 20,000 workers at the cost of Y13 billion. The line entered trial operation on April 1, 2010 and full commercial operation began on May 12, 2010, the second anniversary of the large earthquake that killed some 70,000 people in the region.