Xi'an-Chengdu High-speed Railway to open on 6 Dec: history, today and future

[AndrewJin]

Before the official inauguration, let's review the historic contexts......

Western China news updates
Xi'an-Chengdu High-speed Railway to open on 6 Dec:
a historic moment bridging North and South

To say Xi'an-Chengdu HSR is more important than Guangzhou-Shenzhen HSR is not exaggerating. Xi'an and Chengdu combined have a population of more than 20 million, along with numerous tier3/4/5 cities in between such as Mianyang (one of China's high-tech hubs and military industry), Deyang(machinery) and Hanzhong （milltary industry).

Huge impacts on 30 million Chinese in Western China
Chengdu 14 million people
Deyang 4 million
Mianyang 5 million
Guangyuan 2.5 million
Hanzhong 3.5 million
Xi'an 9 million


Qinling Mountains are the natural boundary dividing geographic North and geographic South, also home to pandas.

This railway will be the first high-speed railway traversing the great Qinling Mountains, connecting two of the biggest metropolitan regions in Western China.

Before the official day of opening, I will briefly summarise the history of transport between these two cities and how the travel time was cut from weeks to days, 10+ hours, and since 6 December, 3 hours.

Ancient capita X'ian
Northwest China

Panda city Chengdu
Southwest China

Expressway & the new railway

@TaiShang @Dungeness @Martian2 @Kaptaan @cirr @terranMarine @Bussard Ramjet @Han Patriot et al

 

[powastick]

I will be looking forward.

 

[AndrewJin]

History: Ancient Shudao (Roads to Shu/Sichuan)

Shudao system (Shu=Sichuan Province)
and today's high-speed railway marked in blue

As the great poet Li Bai (705-762）wrote in his famous poem Shu Roads Are Difficult which every high school students in China will recite character by character:
Li Bai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


This is a compulosry reciting material required in middle school.
Hence, the perilous nature of this road system is known to every Chinese.


The Sichuan Road
What heights!
It is easier to climb Heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
Long ago Can Cong and Yu Fu founded the kingdom of Shu;
Forty-eight thousand years went by,
Yet no road linked it with the land of Qin.
Westward from Taibai Mountain only birds
Wander to the summit of Mount Emei
But not until brave men had perished in the great landslide
Were bridges hooked together in the air
And a path hacked through the rocks.
Above, high peaks turn back the sun's chariot drawn by six dragons;
Below, the charging waves are caught in whirlpools;
Not even yellow cranes dare fly this way,
Monkeys cannot leap those gorges.
At Green Mud Ridge the path winds back and forh,
With nine twists for every hundred steps.
Touching the stars, the traveller looks up and gasps,
Then sinks down , clutching his heart ,to groan aloud.
Friend, when will you return from this westward journey?
This is a fearful way.
You cannot cross these cliffs.
The only living things are birds crying in ancient trees,
Male wooing female up and down the woods,
And the cuckoo, weary of empty hills,
Singing to the moon.
It is easier to climb to heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
The mere telling of its perils blanches youthful cheeks.
Peak follows peak, each but a hand's breadth from the sky;
Dead pine trees hang head down into the chasms,
Currents and waterfalls outroar over rocks,
Booming like thunder through a thousand caverns.
What takes you, travelers, this long, weary way
So filled with danger?
Sword Pass is steep and narrow,
One man could hold this pass against ten thousand;
And sometimes its defenders
Are not mortal men but wolves and jackals.
By day we dread the savage tiger, by night the serpent,
Sharp-fanged sucker of blood
Who chops men down like stalks of hemp.
The City of Brocade may be a pleasant place,
But it is best to seek you home.
For it is easier to climb to heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
I gaze into the west, and sigh.

噫吁嚱！危乎高哉！蜀道之难，难于上青天。蚕丛及鱼凫，开国何茫然！尔来四万八千岁，不与秦塞通人烟。西当太白有鸟道，可以横绝峨眉巅。地崩山摧壮士死, 然后天梯石栈相钩连。上有六龙回日之高标,下有冲波逆折之回川。黄鹤之飞尚不得过,猿猱欲度愁攀援。青泥何盘盘! 百步九折萦岩峦。扪参历井仰胁息，以手抚膺坐长叹。

问君西游何时还，畏途巉岩不可攀。但见悲鸟号古木，雄飞雌从绕林间。又闻子规啼夜月，愁空山。蜀道之难，难于上青天! 使人听此凋朱颜。连峰去天不盈尺，枯松倒挂倚绝壁。飞湍瀑流争喧豗，砯崖转石万壑雷。其险也如此，嗟尔远道之人胡为乎来哉?

剑阁峥嵘而崔嵬，一夫当关，万夫莫开。所守或匪亲，化为狼与豺。朝避猛虎，夕避长蛇。磨牙吮血，杀人如麻。城虽云乐，不如早还家。蜀道之难，难于上青天，侧身西望长咨嗟!



The verse "蜀道之难，难于上青天“ is repeated throughout the poem.
It means, Shu Road is so difficult, more difficult than climbing up to the heaven.
This pretty much summarises the difficult geological conditions of ancient transport between Sichuan Province and Shannxi Province.
This poem was written in Tang Dynasty more than 1200 years ago.
And it continues to shape how Chinese react to this region.


Today, the ancient road to Sichuan is a popular tourist site.
Jianmen Pass
Ancient gateway in Western China to embrace high-speed rail

The new Jianmen Pass High-speed Railway Station
awaiting travelers and trourist boom

 

[powastick]

Nice place to trek.

 

[Daniel808]

Xian and Chengdu is the Heart of Western China Economic

Agree with @AndrewJin This one will be very Important to linking Southwestern China with Northwestern China Region, and they building it through mountainous and valley through the track, such a marvel engginering

 

[AndrewJin]

Old Railway Baoji-Chengdu
Opened in 1958
Only 120km/h

842 km (Xi'an-Baoji-Chengdu) takes at least 9 hours 50 minutes, average 13-15 hours!

@anant_s @TaiShang @GeraltofRivia

Xian and Chengdu is the Heart of Western China Economic

Agree with @AndrewJin This one will be very Important to linking Southwestern China with Northwestern China Region, and they building it through mountainous and valley through the track, such a marvel engginering

The old railway, built in 1950s, was a miracle at that time.
But it no longer serves our best interests.
Time to say goodbye to the great memory.

The Baocheng Line runs from the plains of the Sichuan Basin to the Wei River Valley. It traverses the Qin Mountains, the east-west range that divides northern from southern China. The line has 304 tunnels and 1,001 bridges, which collectively account for 17% of the total track length.

 

[GeraltofRivia]

Old Railway Baoji-Chengdu
Opened in 1958
Only 120km/h

842 km (Xi'an-Baoji-Chengdu) takes at least 9 hours 50 minutes, average 13-15 hours!


View attachment 440685
View attachment 440683 View attachment 440682 View attachment 440684
@anant_s @TaiShang @GeraltofRivia


The old railway, built in 1950s, was a miracle at that time.
But it no longer serves our best interests.
Time to say goodbye to the great memory.

The Baocheng Line runs from the plains of the Sichuan Basin to the Wei River Valley. It traverses the Qin Mountains, the east-west range that divides northern from southern China. The line has 304 tunnels and 1,001 bridges, which collectively account for 17% of the total track length.

Being a hotpot lover myself, this new line will make the trip to the land of hotpot so much easier and enjoyable.

 

[cirr]

Being a hotpot lover myself, this new line will make the trip to the land of hotpot so much easier and enjoyable.

hot pots and hot girls.

 

[AndrewJin]

One day countdown!

HSR near Guangyuan City

HSR under construction to Qinling Mountains

Test run

Face the upcoming competition,
the number of flights have been reduced from double digit per day to 3-4 per day.
The ticket price of long-distance coaches is plummeting!

Hanzhong-Xi'an bus, cut from 89 yuan to 55 yuan!
(Hanzhong is the first major city from Xi'an on this new railway)

Time to say goodbye!

@TaiShang @Beast @Dungeness @Daniel808 @anant_s @Kyle Sun @Godman @Kaptaan @seesonic et al

 

[AndrewJin]

Team Xi'an-Chengdu HSR is ready!

@Arsalan @ashok321 @DESERT FIGHTER @Götterdämmerung @PAKISTANFOREVER @Echo_419 @Bussard Ramjet et al

 

[AndrewJin]

Nice place to trek.

Welcome!
Jianmen Pass scenic area

@Godman @Bussard Ramjet @Keel @TaiShang @terranMarine @JSCh @Huan @AViet

 

[powastick]

Welcome!
Jianmen Pass scenic area
View attachment 440950 View attachment 440951

@Godman @Bussard Ramjet @Keel @TaiShang @terranMarine @JSCh @Huan @AViet

Is that the glass skywalk? Any new railway routes from there?

 

[AndrewJin]

A move forward in 2000s
Chengdu-Xi'an section of the 2800km-long G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway

Expressway network in Qinling Mountains region
G5 Beijing-Kunming
G7011 Shiyan-Tianshui
G65 Baotou-Maoming

Jianmen Pass exit of G5 expressway

Another expressway G7011 across Qinling Mountains

The opening of numerous expressways across Qinling Mountains was revolutionary at that time.
However, 100km/h average speed is far from enough.
Mountainous expressways are also more dangerous and more prone to weather changes.

Between Hanzhong and Xi'an, express coaches take 3-4 hours.
Once this service left every 10-15 minutes, from tomorrow the popularity would be historic.

This will be another classic case in China, how high-speed railways are butchering long-distance bus. slow trains and flights....
@anant_s @TaiShang @seesonic @Kaptaan @Echo_419 @Bussard Ramjet @terranMarine et al

 

[seesonic]

Good to see the chinese government working on its inner cities.

More development for the poorer region translate to lesser income disparity.

 

[AndrewJin]

Is that the glass skywalk? Any new railway routes from there?

It is inside the Jianmen Pass scenic area.
The new Jianmen Pass railway station on this new HSR will open tomorrow.
I am sure there will be tourist shuttle bus.
Tourism boom is on the way.

Also check the scenery of Qinling Mountains, which divide Yangtze River drainage basin and Yellow River drainage basin.
(Mountains at the Jianmen Pass are not Qinling)
http://720yun.com/t/d8e25xakjcf?pano_id=1091563
http://720yun.com/t/b6d2cuz8qbi?pano_id=1580610
http://720yun.com/t/gajdnjr38q16ew3ju9?pano_id=ibjPJwsIQkidGOkC

Xi'an-Chengdu HSR towards Qinling Mountains