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 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 ...

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

in central China between the cities of

Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

, formerly known as

Xiangfan Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

, and

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Co ...

. The short form name for Chongqing is Yu (渝) and the railway is named after the two cities. It has a total length of 895.3 km and passes through

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...

Shaanxi 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), N ...

and

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

province, and Chongqing municipality. Major cities along route include

Shiyan Shiyan () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei, China, bordering Henan to the northeast, Chongqing to the southwest, and Shaanxi to the north and west. At the 2020 census, its population was 3,209,004 of whom 1,033,407 lived in the ...

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 settl ...

Dazhou Dazhou () is a prefecture-level city in the northeast corner of Sichuan province, China, bordering Shaanxi to the north and Chongqing to the east and south. As of 2020 census, Dazhou was home to 5,385,422 inhabitants whom 1,850,869 lived in ...

and

Guang'an Guang'an () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Sichuan province. It is most famous as the birthplace of China's former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. Guang'an lies between the hills of central Sichuan and the gorges area of the east.Guang'a ...

. The Xiangyu railway is a major transportation route that connects the

Sichuan Basin The Sichuan Basin (), formerly transliterated as the Szechwan Basin, sometimes called the Red Basin, is a lowland region in southwestern China. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is drained by the upper Yangtze River and its tributar ...

with the Central Plains. It was built from 1964 to 1979, and electrified in three phases from 1980 to 1998. Trains running on the Xiangyu line can reach top speeds of 100–120 km/h. Construction of a second track began in 2005 and was completed in 2009.

Second Xiangyu line

The second Xiangfan–Chongqing railway () is a dual-track electrified railroad line that runs parallel to the Xiangyu line. This line is only 507 km in length and connects the same cities as the original Xiangyu line. It takes a more direct route through the mountainous terrain with bridges and tunnels, and accommodates faster trains (up to 160 km/h) and a greater carrying capacity. Construction began on August 13, 2005. and was scheduled to be completed by July 2008, but work was slowed by difficulties in bridge and tunnel work which pushed the project 30% over budget. The New Iron Mountain Tunnel (), 3,347 m length, was completed on April 20, 2007 after 20 months of difficult work, overcoming interior rockslides and carbon monoxide build-up inside the tunnel. The second Xiangyu line opened on October 31, 2009.

Rail junctions

: Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railway, Hankou–Danjiangkou railway *

Xi'an–Ankang railway The Xi'an–Ankang railway or Xikang railway (), is a single-track, electrified railway line in Shaanxi Province of China between Xi'an, the provincial capital, and Ankang. The line is long and was built from 1995 to 2001. As of June 2009, a s ...

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 ...

: Dazhou–Chengdu railway,

Bazhong–Dazhou railway The Bazhong–Dazhou railway () is a railway line in Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant mi ...

Chengdu–Chongqing railway Chengdu–Chongqing railway or Chengyu railway (), is a single-track electrified railroad in the Sichuan Basin of Southwest China between the cities Chengdu and Chongqing. Chongqing's short form name is Yu (渝) and the railway is named after the ...

Chongqing–Huaihua railway Chongqing–Huaihua railway or Yuhuai railway (), is a single-track, electrified railroad in southwest China between Chongqing Municipality and Huaihua in Hunan Province. The line is long and was built between 2000 and 2005. Cities and towns a ...

, Sichuan–Guizhou railway, Suining–Chongqing railway

Painting of the Xiangyu line

The Xiangyu line is the subject of an enormous landscape scroll painting that is 1.6 m wide and 128 m long. It was completed by Yang Migui in May 2008 who was a worker on the line's construction in the 1970s, and began working on the painting in 1998. It is reportedly the world's longest painting created by a single artist.Yi Hu, "世界最长个人油画完成汉中画家记录襄渝铁路巨变" ''西安晚报''
Oct. 20, 2008

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiangyang-Chongqing Railway Railway lines in China Rail transport in Chongqing Rail transport in Hubei Rail transport in Shaanxi

Second Xiangyu line

Rail junctions

Painting of the Xiangyu line

See also

Notes