Published : 2024-06-30

On June 30, 2011, the high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shanghai, known as the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway (京滬高鐵), officially began operation.

The total investment of the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway reached 220.94 billion CNY, making it the largest single-investment construction project since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In addition, the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway is the longest high-speed railway with the highest standard ever built in the world at one time.

The proposal for the construction of the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway began in 1990, but due to insufficient economic development and passenger flow demand, it was not until March 2006 that it was finally discussed and approved by the State Council.

The construction of the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway commenced on April 18, 2008, and the ceremony was presided over by the then Premier Wen Jiabao.

Three years later, it was also Wen Jiabao who presided over the opening ceremony.

The Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway starts at Beijing South Station and ends at Shanghai Hongqiao Station, connecting major populous cities along the way including Jinan, Bengbu, Xuzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, etc.

The railway is 1,318 kilometres long with a total of 24 stations and a designed speed of 350 kilometres per hour.