China’s railway construction continued to gain momentum in the first seven months of 2026, with major projects advancing to strengthen regional connectivity and support economic development.

Fixed-asset investment in the railway sector reached 440 billion yuan (about 65 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, up 1.8 percent year-on-year, according to China State Railway Group.

Several projects are improving links between neighbouring cities and metropolitan areas. In Guangdong, the opening of Foshan Station on the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang high-speed railway has cut travel between Foshan and Guangzhou to about 20 minutes, making daily commuting more convenient.

In Shaanxi, full-line testing of the Xi’an-Ankang high-speed railway has been completed. The line will reduce travel between the two cities from about three hours to one hour.

By the end of 2025, China’s railway network had reached 165,000 km, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail. The network is expected to expand to 180,000 km by 2030.