History of rail transport in China
Encyclopedia
The history of rail transport in China began with foreign assistance. Since then, it has made advances with domestic and foreign technology.
in China
, the Woosung Road or Railway, began service in July 1876, connecting the edge of Shanghai
's American Concession in the present-day Zhabei District
with Woosung
in the present-day Baoshan District. Built by Jardine & Matheson without approval from the Qing government
, it was purchased by the Chinese viceroy
Shen Baozhen and dismantled in October 1877, its rails and rolling stock being shipped to Taiwan
.
The second railway in China was a 10 km railway from Tangshan
to Xugezhuang
(Kaiping Tramway and Imperial Railways of North China
), built in 1881 to transport coal from the coal mine in Tangshan. As was the case in Shanghai, many officers in the Qing government opposed building this railway. Fortunately, the railway was backed by the powerful Viceroy of Zhili
, Li Hongzhang
, and survived. Nevertheless, further extension of this railway was delayed due to the opposition. The western extension from Xugezhuang to Tianjin
was finished by 1888. The eastern extension started from Tangshan, and by 1894, it had reached Shanhaiguan
and Suizhong
. This railway was then called "Guanneiwai Railway" (literally, inner and outer Shanhaiguan railway).
The next effort was made by Taiwan
Governor Liu Mingchuan
. From 1887 to 1893, 107 km of railway tracks were laid from Keelung
to Taipei
to Hsinchu
. However, this railway was later demolished for modernization when Taiwan was under Japanese rule
.
was a tragedy to China. Ironically, it stimulated the nation's railway development. On one hand, the emperor and the court officers finally understood the importance of the railway transportation during this war. On the other hand, the Qing government became so weak after the war that it was forced by the great power
s to grant permissions to construct railways in China as well as many privileges, such as settlement or mining along the railway. By 1911, there were around 9,000 km of rails in China. Most of the rails used the standard gauge
(1,435 mm).
The imperial capital, Beijing
, was designed as the center of the Chinese railway network. Several lines spoked out from Beijing. Three main lines are Jinghan railway
, Jingfeng railway, and Jinpu railway
. Jinghan railway was from Beijing to Hankou
. The construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1906. The Guangneiwai railway was extended west to Beijing and east to Fengtian
by 1912 and renamed as Jingfeng railway. Jinpu railway was built during 1908–1912. It started at Tianjin, connecting Jingfeng railway, and ended at Pukou.
Jingzhang railway
(from Beijing to Zhangjiakou
) was the first railway designed and constructed by Chinese in 1905-1909. This railway crossed the rugged mountains in the north of Beijing. The chief engineer was Zhan Tianyou
. He is called the Father of China's Railways.
Guang - San Railway (Canton - Sam Shui Railway
) built in Western Guangdong Province by American engineers 1902-1904
Zhengtai railway was a railway to Taiyuan
, finished in 1907. It connected Jinghan railway at Shijiazhuang
. (In the original plan, this railway connected Jianghan railway at Zhengding
. That is why it was called Zheng-Tai railway.)
Jiaoji Railway
(Qingdao
to Jinan
in Shandong
) was built by Germany
and completed in 1904.
Chao-Shan Railway (Chao Chow and Swatow Railway) built by Japanaese engineers 1904–1906 in Eastern Guangdong Province.
Sino-Vietnamese Railway was a 855 km railway built by France
during 1904–1910, connecting Haiphong
, Vietnam
with Kunming
. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou
is 466 km and the section within Vietnam is 389 km. This railway used 1,000 mm gauge due to the mountain terrain along the route. Currently, it is the only main line in China using narrow gauge.
Shanghai to Nanjing
railway was built in 1905–1908. Construction of the 189 km railway between Shanghai and Hangchow
(now Hangzhou) was completed in 1909.
The Kowloon-Canton Railway
was completed in 1911, connecting the southern city of Canton
(now Guangzhou) with Kowloon
in the then British
crown colony
of Hong Kong
.
was a single-tracked line extending (and shortening) the famous world's longest railroad, the Trans-Siberian Railway
, from near the Siberian city of Chita via Harbin
across northern inner Manchuria
to the Russian port of Vladivostok
. This route drastically reduced the travel distance required along the original main northern route to Vladivostok (this original route lay completely outside China).
A construction concession was granted by China in 1896 through northern Inner Manchuria, running from near Chita via Harbin to Vladivostok, and construction was drastically accelerated after Russia concluded a twenty-five year lease of Liaodong from China.
Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway started in July 1897 along the line Tarskaya (east of Chita) - Hailar
- Harbin - Nikolsk
. Officially, traffic on the line started in November 1901, but regular passenger traffic from Saint Petersburg
to Vladivostok across the Trans-Siberian railway started in July 1903.
At this same time in 1898, a 550-mile spur line, most of which later formed the South Manchuria Railway
, was started from Harbin down through eastern Manchuria, along the Liaodong Peninsula, to the ice-free deep water port at Lüshun
, a town almost at the tip of the peninsula, which Russia was fortifying and overhauling into a first class strategic naval base and marine coaling station for their Far Seas Fleet and Merchant Marine. This town was known in the west
as Port Arthur.
The Chinese Eastern Railway was essentially completed in 1902, beating the stretch around Lake Baikal
, by fourteen years. Until that portion was completed, cargo on the Trans-Siberian Railway had to be transshipped by ferry the 632 miles along the lake's length.
During the Russo-Japanese War
(1904–1905), Russia lost both Liaodong Peninsula and much of the South Manchurian branch of the railway to Japan
. The rail line from Changchun
to Lüshun transferred to Japanese control, and now became the South Manchuria Railway.
The original gauge used in the eastern railway was the Russia 1,520 mm broad gauge. Later, when Japan gradually took control this railway, the gauge was changed to the standard gauge (1,435 mm).
The South Manchuria Railway
Company was a company founded by Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War, and operated in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. The company was created when, in accordance with the Treaty of Portsmouth
, the southernmost section (from Changchun to Lüshun) of the South Manchuria branch of the China Far East Railway was transferred to Japanese control along with the Kwantung Leased Territory
. From 1906 or 1910 until 1925, the company also operated the Korean railway system
.
, which contributed to the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution
. Troops sent to Sichuan from neighboring Hubei weakened defenses in Wuhan
where revolutionaries launched the Wuchang Uprising
. After founding the Republic of China
on January 1, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen
agreed to cede the provisional presidency to Yuan Shikai in exchange for the latter's assistance in securing the abdication of Qing court. Sun believed that a national railway network was key to the modernization of China. He sought and received from Yuan Shikai, the portfolio of railway development the new republic.
in Yunnan
province began. Ultimately, however, the project was unsuccessful and was aborted.
, the Chinese mainland claimed 27,000 km of rail, and it was estimated about 23,000 km was usable. By 1948, the number of usable kilometers of rail was estimated at only 8,000 km due to the Chinese Civil War
. The Communists
actively sabotaged rail lines to disrupt the ruling Nationalists
(Kuomintang), and the Nationalists scavenged lesser used railways in order to repair the most important ones.
(PRC) in October 1949, had restored the usable network to about 22,000 km. Most of the early reconstruction (about 11,000 km) was in Manchuria because Soviet and Japanese occupation there reduced the amount of sabotage between the fighting parties, allowing for quick repairs.
On October 14, 1949, the cross-border service on the Kowloon-Canton Railway
was suspended as a result of the communist revolution, and it was not resumed until April 4, 1979.
In fact, when the PRC was established in 1949, China had constructed 27,380 km of railway, but only 24,090 km was kept, including 10,309 km in the northeastern part of China, and 919 km in Taiwan
.
. Lanzhou was then developed as a major railway hub in the northwestern China. The 1,900 km long Lanxin railway
was then built from Lanzhou to Urumqi
, the capital of Xinjiang
, between 1952-1962. Later on, this was extended all the way to the Kazakh border (1990), while another branch went west to Kashgar
.
The railway to Tibet
however, was more difficult to build due to the high altitude and terrain. Rail lines were first extended to Xining
in Qinghai
, and by 1984 another section between Xining and Golmud
was completed. It was not until 2006 that the whole of the Qingzang railway
was finished, linking Lhasa
with rest of China. Since then, every province-level entity in the People's Republic of China has a railway network.
s dominated the Chinese railways. During the 1980s and 90s, diesel
and electric locomotive
s gradually replaced steam engines on the main lines. On some provincial rails, however, steam locomotives were not retired until the 21st century. In December 2005, the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey on the Jitong railway
, marking the end of the steam era. Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used on the industrial railways in China.
As a part of infrastructure upgrade, China in 2007 opened its first High speed rail
lines using trains with origins in Canada, France, Germany and Japan.
Qing Dynasty era
Early efforts
The first railroadRail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
in 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...
, the Woosung Road or Railway, began service in July 1876, connecting the edge of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
's American Concession in the present-day Zhabei District
Zhabei District
Zhabei District of Shanghai has a land area of 29.26 km² and a resident population of 810,211 as of 2003. It is one of the downtown districts of Shanghai though the commercial potential has been continuously undervalued...
with Woosung
Wusong
Wusong,Chinese: s , t , p Wúsōng. formerly Woosung, was a port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai.The Battle of Woosung occurred on 16 June 1842 between British and Chinese forces during the First Opium War. It was the site of China's first telegraph wires and first railroad, both...
in the present-day Baoshan District. Built by Jardine & Matheson without approval from the Qing government
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, it was purchased by the Chinese viceroy
Viceroy of Liangjiang
The Viceroy of Liangjiang , fully referred to as the Governor General of the two Yangtze Provinces and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Manager of Waterways; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight regional viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China...
Shen Baozhen and dismantled in October 1877, its rails and rolling stock being shipped to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
The second railway in China was a 10 km railway from Tangshan
Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#TangTangshan is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least...
to Xugezhuang
Xugezhuang
Xugezhuang is a former village and modern town of Fengnan District in Hebei, China.It was the terminus of the second railway to be constructed in China after the abortive Woosung Railway in Shanghai...
(Kaiping Tramway and Imperial Railways of North China
Kaiping Tramway and Imperial Railways of North China
Often described as China’s first railway, the first standard gauge railway to be built and survive in China was the Kaiping colliery tramway located at Tongshan in Hebei province. This was not, however, truly the first railway in China...
), built in 1881 to transport coal from the coal mine in Tangshan. As was the case in Shanghai, many officers in the Qing government opposed building this railway. Fortunately, the railway was backed by the powerful Viceroy of Zhili
Viceroy of Zhili
The Viceroy of Zhili , fully referred to as the Governor General of Zhili and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Manager of Waterways; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight regional viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China...
, Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
, and survived. Nevertheless, further extension of this railway was delayed due to the opposition. The western extension from Xugezhuang to Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
was finished by 1888. The eastern extension started from Tangshan, and by 1894, it had reached Shanhaiguan
Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass , or Shanhaiguan, along with Jiayu Pass and Juyong Pass, is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site.It is a popular tourist destination,...
and Suizhong
Suizhong
Suizhong County is a county of the city of Huludao, Liaoning province, People's Republic of China. It is located on the northern coast of the Bohai Sea and lies in the southwest part of the province, on the northeastern border of Hebei. The county has an area of , a population of 630,000, and is...
. This railway was then called "Guanneiwai Railway" (literally, inner and outer Shanhaiguan railway).
The next effort was made by Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
Governor Liu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty. He adopted a style name of Xingsan . Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer...
. From 1887 to 1893, 107 km of railway tracks were laid from Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
to Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
. However, this railway was later demolished for modernization when Taiwan was under Japanese rule
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
.
Fast development during 1895-1911
The Qing's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
was a tragedy to China. Ironically, it stimulated the nation's railway development. On one hand, the emperor and the court officers finally understood the importance of the railway transportation during this war. On the other hand, the Qing government became so weak after the war that it was forced by the great power
Great power
A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength and diplomatic and cultural influence which may cause small powers to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions...
s to grant permissions to construct railways in China as well as many privileges, such as settlement or mining along the railway. By 1911, there were around 9,000 km of rails in China. Most of the rails used the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(1,435 mm).
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, was designed as the center of the Chinese railway network. Several lines spoked out from Beijing. Three main lines are Jinghan railway
Jingguang Railway
The Beijing–Guangzhou Railway or Jingguang Railway is a major arterial railway in the China that connects Beijing in the north with Guangzhou in the south. This dual-track electrified line has a total length of 2,324 kilometres and spans five provinces through north, central and south China...
, Jingfeng railway, and Jinpu railway
Jinpu railway
The Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
. Jinghan railway was from Beijing to Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
. The construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1906. The Guangneiwai railway was extended west to Beijing and east to Fengtian
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
by 1912 and renamed as Jingfeng railway. Jinpu railway was built during 1908–1912. It started at Tianjin, connecting Jingfeng railway, and ended at Pukou.
Jingzhang railway
Jingbao railway
The Beijing-Baotou Railway or Jingbao Railway is a 833 km railway from Beijing to Baotou, Inner Mongolia in China. It is a very important route in northwestern China....
(from Beijing to Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
) was the first railway designed and constructed by Chinese in 1905-1909. This railway crossed the rugged mountains in the north of Beijing. The chief engineer was Zhan Tianyou
Zhan Tianyou
Jeme Tien Yow was a distinguished Chinese railroad engineer. Educated in the United States of America, he was the chief engineer responsible for construction of the Imperial Peking-Kalgan Railway , the first railway constructed in China without foreign assistance.-Biography:Jeme was born in...
. He is called the Father of China's Railways.
Guang - San Railway (Canton - Sam Shui Railway
Canton - Sam Shui Railway
The Canton – Sam Shui Railway is a railway line in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, opened in 1903 and 1904.-Introduction:The 32 mile-long Canton to Sam Shui railway line was constructed between 1902 and 1904 by American engineers...
) built in Western Guangdong Province by American engineers 1902-1904
Zhengtai railway was a railway to Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, finished in 1907. It connected Jinghan railway at Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
. (In the original plan, this railway connected Jianghan railway at Zhengding
Zhengding
Zhengding is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It comes under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 594,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times...
. That is why it was called Zheng-Tai railway.)
Jiaoji Railway
Jiaoji railway
The Jiaozhou–Jinan Railway or Jiaoji Railway is railway in Shandong Province, China. The railway is 440.7km in length and connects Qingdao, on the Jiaozhou Bay, and Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong...
(Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
to Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) was built by Germany
German colonial empire
The German colonial empire was an overseas domain formed in the late 19th century as part of the German Empire. Short-lived colonial efforts by individual German states had occurred in preceding centuries, but Imperial Germany's colonial efforts began in 1884...
and completed in 1904.
Chao-Shan Railway (Chao Chow and Swatow Railway) built by Japanaese engineers 1904–1906 in Eastern Guangdong Province.
Sino-Vietnamese Railway was a 855 km railway built by France
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
during 1904–1910, connecting Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou
Hekou
Hekou may refer to the following in China:*Hekou District , Dongying, Shandong*Hekou Group, geological formation in Gansu*Hekou Yao Autonomous County , of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan...
is 466 km and the section within Vietnam is 389 km. This railway used 1,000 mm gauge due to the mountain terrain along the route. Currently, it is the only main line in China using narrow gauge.
Shanghai to Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
railway was built in 1905–1908. Construction of the 189 km railway between Shanghai and Hangchow
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
(now Hangzhou) was completed in 1909.
The Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
was completed in 1911, connecting the southern city of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(now Guangzhou) with Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
in the then British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
crown colony
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern RailwayChinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
was a single-tracked line extending (and shortening) the famous world's longest railroad, the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
, from near the Siberian city of Chita via Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
across northern inner Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
to the Russian port of Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. This route drastically reduced the travel distance required along the original main northern route to Vladivostok (this original route lay completely outside China).
A construction concession was granted by China in 1896 through northern Inner Manchuria, running from near Chita via Harbin to Vladivostok, and construction was drastically accelerated after Russia concluded a twenty-five year lease of Liaodong from China.
Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway started in July 1897 along the line Tarskaya (east of Chita) - Hailar
Hailar, Inner Mongolia
Hailar District is an urban district that serves as the seat of the prefecture-level city Hulunbuir in northeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. Hulunbuir, due to its massive size, is a city in administrative terms only, being mainly grassland and rural. Hailar, therefore, is a de...
- Harbin - Nikolsk
Ussuriysk
Ussuriysk is a city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located in the fertile valley of the Razdolnaya River, north of Vladivostok and about from both the Chinese border and the Pacific Ocean. Population: -Medieval history:...
. Officially, traffic on the line started in November 1901, but regular passenger traffic from Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
to Vladivostok across the Trans-Siberian railway started in July 1903.
At this same time in 1898, a 550-mile spur line, most of which later formed the South Manchuria Railway
South Manchuria Railway
The , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
, was started from Harbin down through eastern Manchuria, along the Liaodong Peninsula, to the ice-free deep water port at Lüshun
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
, a town almost at the tip of the peninsula, which Russia was fortifying and overhauling into a first class strategic naval base and marine coaling station for their Far Seas Fleet and Merchant Marine. This town was known in the west
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
as Port Arthur.
The Chinese Eastern Railway was essentially completed in 1902, beating the stretch around Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
, by fourteen years. Until that portion was completed, cargo on the Trans-Siberian Railway had to be transshipped by ferry the 632 miles along the lake's length.
During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
(1904–1905), Russia lost both Liaodong Peninsula and much of the South Manchurian branch of the railway to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The rail line from Changchun
Changchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
to Lüshun transferred to Japanese control, and now became the South Manchuria Railway.
The original gauge used in the eastern railway was the Russia 1,520 mm broad gauge. Later, when Japan gradually took control this railway, the gauge was changed to the standard gauge (1,435 mm).
South Manchuria Railway
The South Manchuria Railway
South Manchuria Railway
The , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
Company was a company founded by Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War, and operated in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. The company was created when, in accordance with the Treaty of Portsmouth
Treaty of Portsmouth
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War. It was signed on September 5, 1905 after negotiations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine in the USA.-Negotiations:...
, the southernmost section (from Changchun to Lüshun) of the South Manchuria branch of the China Far East Railway was transferred to Japanese control along with the Kwantung Leased Territory
Kwantung Leased Territory
The Kwantung Leased Territory was a territory in the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula in Inner Manchuria that existed from 1898 to 1945. It was one of the numerous territorial concessions that the Empire of China was compelled to award to foreign countries at the end of the 19th century...
. From 1906 or 1910 until 1925, the company also operated the Korean railway system
Korail
Korea Railroad Corporation , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea...
.
Republic of China
The building of railways had profound effect on the society and politics of late imperial China. From the 1890s to 1905, nearly all railways in China were planned, financed, built and operated by foreign powers with concessions from the Qing Government. To help local economies develop and retain earnings from railways, the Qing government in 1904 permitted local provinces to organize their own railway companies and raise funds by selling shares to the public. The government in Sichuan, for example, also levied a special tax on land owners, who were given share certificates in the Sichuan-Hankou Railway Company. In May 1911, the Qing government sought to nationalize these locally controlled railway companies and pledge their railway concessions to foreign banks in exchange for loans. The nationalization order provoked fierce public opposition that led to the Railway Protection MovementRailway Protection Movement
The Railway Protection Movement , also known as the "Railway Rights Protection Movement", was a political protest movement that erupted in 1911 in late Qing China against the Qing government's plan to nationalize local railway development projects and transfer control to foreign banks...
, which contributed to the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
. Troops sent to Sichuan from neighboring Hubei weakened defenses in Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
where revolutionaries launched the Wuchang Uprising
Wuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
. After founding the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on January 1, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
agreed to cede the provisional presidency to Yuan Shikai in exchange for the latter's assistance in securing the abdication of Qing court. Sun believed that a national railway network was key to the modernization of China. He sought and received from Yuan Shikai, the portfolio of railway development the new republic.
1941 onward
The Yunnan Burma Railway, an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to link British occupied Burma with KunmingKunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
province began. Ultimately, however, the project was unsuccessful and was aborted.
1945-1949
In 1945, just after the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, the Chinese mainland claimed 27,000 km of rail, and it was estimated about 23,000 km was usable. By 1948, the number of usable kilometers of rail was estimated at only 8,000 km due to the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. The Communists
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
actively sabotaged rail lines to disrupt the ruling Nationalists
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(Kuomintang), and the Nationalists scavenged lesser used railways in order to repair the most important ones.
People's Republic of China
In 1951, after extensive investment in reconstruction, the Communists, who established the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC) in October 1949, had restored the usable network to about 22,000 km. Most of the early reconstruction (about 11,000 km) was in Manchuria because Soviet and Japanese occupation there reduced the amount of sabotage between the fighting parties, allowing for quick repairs.
On October 14, 1949, the cross-border service on the Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
was suspended as a result of the communist revolution, and it was not resumed until April 4, 1979.
In fact, when the PRC was established in 1949, China had constructed 27,380 km of railway, but only 24,090 km was kept, including 10,309 km in the northeastern part of China, and 919 km in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Railway links to the vast western China
By 1952, Longhai Railway finally reached its long-planned western terminus - LanzhouLanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
. Lanzhou was then developed as a major railway hub in the northwestern China. The 1,900 km long Lanxin railway
Lanxin railway
The Lanzhou−Xinjiang Railway or Lanxin Railway is the longest railway in northwestern China. It runs from Lanzhou, Gansu, through the Hexi Corridor, to Ürümqi, in the Xinjiang. It is Xinjiang's only rail link with the rest of China...
was then built from Lanzhou to Urumqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
, the capital of Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, between 1952-1962. Later on, this was extended all the way to the Kazakh border (1990), while another branch went west to Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
.
The railway to Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
however, was more difficult to build due to the high altitude and terrain. Rail lines were first extended to Xining
Xining
Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
in Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
, and by 1984 another section between Xining and Golmud
Golmud
Golmud , sometimes transliterated as Ge'ermu or Geermu, is a county-level city in Qinghai Province, Western China. Administrated by Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, it is the second largest city in Qinghai and the third largest in the Tibetan Plateau . The population is now about...
was completed. It was not until 2006 that the whole of the Qingzang railway
Qingzang railway
The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway , is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China....
was finished, linking Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
with rest of China. Since then, every province-level entity in the People's Republic of China has a railway network.
End of the steam era
Before the 1980s, due to the low labor cost, ease of manufacture, and cheap coal price, steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s dominated the Chinese railways. During the 1980s and 90s, diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
and electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s gradually replaced steam engines on the main lines. On some provincial rails, however, steam locomotives were not retired until the 21st century. In December 2005, the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey on the Jitong railway
Jitong railway
Jitong railway is a railway in Inner Mongolia, China opened in 1995. Its start point is at Jining and ends at Tongliao. The Jitong railway is a joint venture between China Railways and the government of Inner Mongolia....
, marking the end of the steam era. Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used on the industrial railways in China.
As a part of infrastructure upgrade, China in 2007 opened its first High speed rail
China Railway High-speed
China Railway High-speed ; ) is the high-speed rail system operated by China Railways.Hexie Hao is the designation for high-speed trains running on this rail system. At the middle of the run, all trains were marked "CRH" on the centre of the head vehicle and the side of the walls of each vehicle...
lines using trains with origins in Canada, France, Germany and Japan.
See also
- Transportation in ChinaTransportation in ChinaTransport in China may refer to:*Transport in the People's Republic of China *Transport in Hong Kong*Transport in Macau*Transportation in Taiwan...
- Rail transport in the People's Republic of ChinaRail transport in the People's Republic of ChinaRail transport is the most commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in the People's Republic of China. Almost all rail operations are handled by the Ministry of Railways, which is part of the State Council of the People's Republic of China...
- CHINA’S SECOND “FIRST” RAILWAY - The Development of Kaiping Tramway into IMPERIAL RAILWAYS OF NORTH CHINA.Click "English" and then "Feature Articles"
- The Chinese Eastern Railway - A Glimpse of History Click "English" and then select "Feature Articles"
- Kaiping Tramway
Further reading
- How the Railroad is Modernising Asia, The Advertiser, Adelaide, S. Australia, 22 March 1913. N.B.: A historical article is of approx. 1,500 words, covering approx. a dozen Asian countries.