China opened four new high-speed railway lines on Monday, further expanding the world's largest high-speed rail network and improving connectivity across several regions.

The 171-km Xi'an-Ankang line in northwest China's Shaanxi Province cuts travel time between the two cities from three hours to around 45 minutes. Designed for speeds of up to 350 km per hour, the line crosses the Qinling Mountains and has five stations.

In central China, the 101-km Yichang-Xingshan line in Hubei Province links two major high-speed rail corridors, supporting tourism, industrial development and rural revitalization in the mountainous region.

The Xiong'an-Shangqiu section of the Beijing-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway strengthens links between northern and central China, while the 318-km Harbin-Yichun line, China's northernmost high-speed railway, extends services through Heilongjiang's forested and permafrost regions.

By the end of 2025, China's rail network had exceeded 165,000 km, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail.