The Xi'an–Ankang railway or Xikang railway (), is a single-track,

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

Shaanxi Province Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ni ...

of China between

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqi ...

, the provincial capital, and

Ankang Ankang () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shaanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hubei province to the east, Chongqing municipality to the south, and Sichuan province to the southwest. History The sett ...

. The line is long and was built from 1995 to 2001. As of June 2009, a second track is being planned for the line. Major cities and towns along route include Xi'an, Zhashui, Zhen'an County,

Xunyang County Xunyang (; formerly written as () until 1964) is a county-level city in the south of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Hubei province to the northeast and southeast. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Ankang. Its admi ...

and Ankang. Mitsue Mishima, "Xi’an–Ankang Railway Construction Project (1)-(3) (CXVII-P73, CXVIII-P73, CXIX-P73)" ''OPMAC''
October 2004

History

Construction on the line began on 18 December 1996. The railway opened on 8 January 2001. The second track was completed and put into operation on 31 October 2013. On 5 November 2018, a new double-track long line from Dalingpu to Ankang was opened. This line bypasses Xunyang North railway station, shortening the distance between Xi'an and Ankang by and increasing capacity. The line has a design speed of . In December 2020, new direct services were introduced between Xunyang railway station and Xi'an railway station. Previously this journey required a change at Xunyang North. These services are operated by

China Railway CR200J The CR200J Fuxing ( zh, s=复兴号, p=Fùxīng Hào "Rejuvenation") is a Chinese higher-speed trainset consisting of a power car paired with unpowered passenger cars operated by China Railway. It is the slowest member of the Fuxing series. The ...

units.

Line description

The Xikang line traverses the

Qin Mountains The Qinling () or Qin Mountains, formerly known as the Nanshan ("Southern Mountains"), are a major east–west mountain range in southern Shaanxi Province, China. The mountains mark the divide between the drainage basins of the Yangtze and Yellow ...

, one of the geographic barriers that separate North and South China. Xi'an, the provincial capital is located in the

Wei River The Wei River () is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization. The source of the Wei River is close to ...

Valley and Ankang in southern Shaanxi is located in the

Han River (Yangtze River tributary) The Han River, also known by its Chinese names Hanshui and Han Jiang, is a left tributary of the Yangtze in central China. It has a length of and is the longest tributary of the Yangtze system. The river gave its name to the Han dynasty and, ...

Valley. The Xikang line connects two of China's major east-west rail corridors, the Longhai railway and the

Xiangyang–Chongqing railway The Xiangyang–Chongqing railway or Xiangyu railway (襄渝铁路), also known as the Xiangfan-Chongqing railway and Xiangyu line (襄渝线), is a single-track electrified railroad in central China between the cities of Xiangyang, formerly known ...

and shortened travel distance between the two cities by and travel time by 14 hours. Due to the rugged terrain of southern Shaanxi, the line has of bridges and of tunnels including the Qinling Tunnel, which is long and underneath the mountain at its deepest point. The line was funded by low-interest development assistance loans from Japan. The planned Xi'an–Ankang high-speed railway will connect Xi'an and Ankang in the future on a faster alignment with a maximum speed of .

Rail connections

: Longhai railway, Xi'an–Yan'an railway,

Houma–Xi'an railway The Houma–Xi'an railway or Houxi railway (), is a railroad in northern China, between Houma in Shanxi Province and Xi'an in neighboring Shaanxi Province. The railway has a total length of 289 km. Construction of the line began in the 1 ...

, Nanjing–Xi'an railway *

Yangpingguan–Ankang railway The Yangpingguan–Ankang railway or Yang'an railway (), is a single-track, electrified railroad in China between Yangpingguan and Ankang in southern Shaanxi Province. The line, in length, follows the upper reaches of the Han River and was ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xi'an-Ankang Railway Railway lines in China Rail transport in Shaanxi Railway lines opened in 2001

History

Line description

Rail connections

See also

References