The history of rail transport in China began with foreign assistance. Since then, it has made advances with domestic and foreign technology.
Contents |
Qing Dynasty era
Early efforts
The first railroad in China, the Woosung Road (or Woosung Railway), began its service in July 1876, connecting Shanghai and Woosung (now Baoshan District). "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Wusong ( also Woosung) was port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai. See also Baoshan The Baoshan District ( of Shanghai has a land area of 424 This railway was, however, built by Jardine & Matheson without approval from the Qing government. Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (,) often called Jardines or Jardine's (怡和 is a Multinational corporation that is incorporated in Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China In the eyes of the Qing officials, the locomotive was nothing but an iron monster. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. Soon, it was purchased by the government and was demolished in October 1877. [1][2]
The second railway in China was a 10 km railway from Tangshan to Xugezhuang, built in 1881 to transport the coals from the coal mine in Tangshan. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Tangshan ( is a mainly industrial Prefecture-level city in Hebei province People's Republic of China. As was the case in Shanghai, many officers in the Qing government opposed building this railway. Fortunately, the railway was backed by the powerful Viceroy of Zhili, Li Hongzhang, and survived. The Viceroy of Zhílì (直隸總督/直隶总督 fully referred to as the Governor General of Zhili and surrounding areas Overseeing Military Affairs Food Production Manager Li Hongzhang, Marquis Suyi of the First Class, GCVO, ( February 15, 1823 &ndash November 7, 1901) was a Chinese Nevertheless, further extension of this railway was delayed due to the opposition. The western extension from Xugezhuang to Tianjin was finished by 1888. ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. The eastern extension started from Tangshan, and by 1894, it had reached Shanhaiguan and Suizhong. Shanhaiguan or Shanhai Pass ( literally "Mountain and Sea Pass" is a part of the city of Qinhuangdao, in Hebei province People's Republic Suizhong County ( is a county in Huludao City Liaoning Province in the People's Republic of China. This railway was then called "Guanneiwai Railway" (literally, inner and outer Shanhaiguan railway).
The next effort was made by Taiwan Governor Liu Mingchuan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Liu Mingchuan (1836-1896 劉銘傳 was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty, born in Hefei in Anhui province During 1887 to 1893, 107 km of railway tracks were laid from Keelung to Taipei to Hsinchu. Keelung City (also Jilong or Chilung) ( is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of Hsinchu City ( POJ: Sin-tek is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" However, this railway was demolished for modernization later when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. The Japanese colonial period, Japanese rule or the Imperial Japanese occupation, in the context of Taiwan 's history refers to the period between
Fast development during 1895-1911
The Qing's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War was a tragedy to China. The First Sino-Japanese War ( 日清戦争 Romaji: Nisshin Sensō ( 1 August 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a war fought between Ironically, it stimulated the nation's railway development. On one hand, the emperor and the court officers finally understood the importance of the railway transportation during this war. On the other hand, the Qing government became so weak after the war that it was forced by the great powers to grant permissions to construct railways in China as well as many privileges, such as settlement or mining along the railway. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale By 1911, there were around 9000 km of rails in China. Most of the rails used the standard gauge (1435 mm). The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge.
The imperial capital, Beijing, was designed as the center of the Chinese railway network. Several lines spoked out from Beijing. Three main lines are Jinghan railway, Jingfeng railway, and Jinpu railway. Jingguang railway ( Chinese: 京广铁路/京廣鐵路 or 京广线/京廣綫 is a major artery Railway in the China connecting Beijing West railway The Jingha railway (京哈铁路 is the railway that connects Beijing with Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, in Mainland China. The Jinpu railway (津浦铁路 runs from Tianjin to Pukou in Jiangsu province Jinghan railway was from Beijing to Hankou. Hankou ( Wade-Giles: Hankow is one of the three towns together with Wuchang and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital The construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1906. The Guangneiwai railway was extended west to Beijing and east to Fengtian by 1912 and renamed as Jingfeng railway. Shenyang ( Ch: 沈阳 pinyin Shěnyáng, or Mukden ( in Manchu) is a Sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning Jinpu railway was build during 1908-1912. It started at Tianjin, connecting Jingfeng railway, and ended at Pukou. Pukou ( Chinese: 浦口 Jiangsu, China a city district of the City of Nanjing directly northwest across the Yangtze River from Nanjing
Jingzhang railway (from Beijing to Zhangjiakou) was the first railway designed and constructed by Chinese in 1905-1909. Zhangjiakou ( also known also by several other names) is a city in the Hebei Province of northern China. The Jingbao railway (京包铁路 is a 833 km railway from Beijing to Baotou, Inner Mongolia in mainland China Zhangjiakou ( also known also by several other names) is a city in the Hebei Province of northern China. This railway crossed the rugged mountains in the north of Beijing. The chief engineer was Zhan Tianyou. Jeme Tien Yow ( previously romanized as Jeme Tien Yow) ( April 26, 1861 &ndash April 24, 1919) was a distinguished Chinese He is called the Father of China's Railway.
Zhengtai railway was a railway to Taiyuan, finished in 1907. Taiyuan ( lit "Great Plains" is a Prefecture-level city and the capital of Shanxi province China. It connected Jinghan railway at Shijiazhuang. Shijiazhuang ( literally "The Stones' Village" is a Prefecture-level city and the Capital of Hebei province, China (In the original plan, this railway connected Jianghan railway at Zhengding. Zhengding ( is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 Kilometers south of Beijing, China. That's why it was called Zheng-Tai railway. )
Jiaoji Railway (Qingdao to Jinan in Shandong) was built by Germany and completed in 1904. Jiaoji Railway (胶济铁路 is a west-east railway that connects Qingdao and Jinan of Shandong Province, China. Jinan ( in some literatures the pinyin without tones is given as Ji'nan, to disambiguate from a possible misreading as Jin'an is a Sub-provincial city ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. The German colonial empire was an overseas area formed in the late 19th century as part of the Hohenzollern dynasty's German Empire.
Sino-Vietnamese Railway was a 855km railway built by France during 1904-1910, connecting Haiphong, Vietnam with Kunming. First French interventions See also France-Vietnam relations France-Vietnam relations started as early as the 17th century with the mission of the Jesuit Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Kunming ( kʊn'mɪŋ UN/LOCODE: CNKMG is a Prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province in Southwestern China. The section within China from Kunming to Hekou is 466 km and the section within Vietnam is 389 km. The Hekou Yao Autonomous County (Chinese 河口瑶族自治县 pinyin Hékǒu Yáozú Zìzhìxiàn is an autonomous county in the southern part of the Yunnan province This railway used 1000mm gauge due to the mountain terrain along the route. Currently, it is the only main line in China using narrow gauge.
Shanghai to Nanjing railway was built in 1905-1908. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles Construction of the 189 km railway between Shanghai and Hangchow (now Hangzhou) was completed in 1909. ( Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a Sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, [3]
The Kowloon-Canton Railway was completed in 1911, connecting the southern city of Canton (now Guangzhou) with Kowloon in the then British crown colony of Hong Kong. Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city Kowloon refers to an urban area in Hong Kong made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway was a single-tracked line extending (and shortening) the famous world's longest railroad, the Trans-Siberian Railway, from near the Siberian city of Chita via Harbin across northern inner Manchuria to the Russian port of Vladivostok. The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER (also known as the Chinese Far East Railway) was a Railway in northeastern China ( Manchuria) The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER (also known as the Chinese Far East Railway) was a Railway in northeastern China ( Manchuria) The Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad (Транссибирская магистраль Транссиб in Russian, or Transsibirskaya magistral' ( Russian Kharbin) is a Sub-provincial city and the Capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Vladivostok ( is Russia 's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai. This route drastically reduced the travel distance required along the original main northern route to Vladivostok (this original route lay completely outside China).
A construction concession was granted by China in 1896 through northern Inner Manchuria, running from near Chita via Harbin to Vladivostok, and construction was drastically accelerated after Russia concluded a twenty-five year lease of Liaodong from China. The Liáodōng Peninsula ( is a Peninsula in the Liáoníng province of northeastern China, historically known in the west as southern east- Manchuria
Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway started in July 1897 along the line Tarskaya (east of Chita) - Hailar - Harbin - Nikolsk. Hailar District ( Chinese: 海拉尔区 Pinyin: Hǎilā'ěr Qū is an urban district which serves as the seat of the Prefecture-level city Ussuriysk (Уссури́йск is a city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated in the middle of a fertile valley at the junction of three rivers at. Officially, traffic on the line started in November 1901, but regular passenger traffic from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok across the Trans-Siberian railway started in July 1903. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River
At this same time in 1898, a 550-mile spur line, most of which later formed the South Manchuria Railway, was started from Harbin down through eastern Manchuria, along the Liaodong Peninsula, to the ice-free deep water port at Lüshun, a town almost at the tip of the peninsula, which Russia was fortifying and overhauling into a first class strategic naval base and marine coaling station for their Far Seas Fleet and Merchant Marine. The was a company founded in the Empire of Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905 and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria The Liáodōng Peninsula ( is a Peninsula in the Liáoníng province of northeastern China, historically known in the west as southern east- Manchuria Lüshun city or Lüshunkou or (literally Lüshun Port ( formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun, is a town located at the extreme southern This town was known in the west as Port Arthur. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings
The Chinese Eastern Railway was essentially completed in 1902, beating the stretch around Lake Baikal, by fourteen years. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Until that portion was completed, cargo on the Trans-Siberian Railway had to be transshipped by ferry the 632 miles along the lake's length.
During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Russia lost both Liaodong Peninsula and much of the South Manchurian branch of the railway to Japan. The Russo-Japanese War (日露戦争 Romaji: Nichi-Ro Sensō Русско-японская война Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna;, 10 February 1904 – 5 September For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The rail line from Changchun to Lüshun transferred to Japanese control, and now became the South Manchuria Railway. Changchun ( is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the centre of the
The original gauge used in the eastern railway was the Russia 1520mm broad gauge. Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. Later, when Japan gradually took control this railway, the gauge was changed to the standard gauge (1435mm).
South Manchuria Railway
The South Manchuria Railway Company was a company founded by Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War, and operated in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. The was a company founded in the Empire of Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905 and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria The was a company founded in the Empire of Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905 and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria The invasion of Manchuria by the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan, beginning on September 19, 1931, immediately followed The company was created when, in accordance with the Treaty of Portsmouth, the southernmost section (from Changchun to Lüshun) of the South Manchuria branch of the China Far East Railway was transferred to Japanese control along with the Kwantung Leased Territory. The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. The Kwantung Leased Territory ( Chinese: 關東州 关东州 Guāndōngzhōu Japanese: 関東州 Kantōshū was a territory in the southern part of the Liaodong From 1906 or 1910 until 1925, the company also operated the Korean railway system. Korail is the national railroad operator in South Korea. Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea
Republic of China
Before World War II
During World War II
1945-1949
In 1945, just after the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese mainland claimed 27,000 km of rail, and it was estimated about 23,000 km was usable. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the By 1948, the number of usable kilometers of rail was estimated at only 8000 km due to the Chinese Civil War. The Communists actively sabotaged rail lines to disrupt the ruling Nationalists (Kuomintang), and the Nationalists scavenged lesser used railways in order to repair the most important ones. The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the [4]
People's Republic of China
In 1951, after extensive investment in reconstruction, the Communists, who established the People's Republic of China (PRC) in October 1949, had restored the usable network to about 22,000 km. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Most of the early reconstruction (about 11,000 km) was in Manchuria because Soviet and Japanese occupation there reduced the amount of sabotage between the fighting parties, allowing for quick repairs. Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast [4]
On October 14, 1949, the cross-border service on the Kowloon-Canton Railway was suspended as a result of the communist takeover, and it was not resumed until April 4, 1979. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)
Railway links to the vast western China
By 1952, Longhai Railway finally reached its long-planned western terminus - Lanzhou. Lanzhou ( Postal map spelling: Lanchow is a Prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China. Lanzhou was then developed as a major railway hub in the northwestern China. A 1900 km railway was built from Lanzhou to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, between 1952-1962. Ürümchi or Ürümqi, sometimes spelled Wulumuqi (English uːˈruːmtʃi ئۈرۈمچی|Ürümchi) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk The railway to Xizang or Tibet, however, was more difficult to build due to the high altitude and terrain. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR also called Xizang Autonomous Region (བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་ Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs Railway was first extended to Xining. Xining ( Simplified Chinese: 西宁 Traditional Chinese: 西寧 Tibetan: ཟི་ནིང་ Pinyin: Xīníng Wylie: Zi-ning By 1984, another section between Xining and Golmud was completed. Golmud, sometimes spelled Ge'ermu or Geermu ( Mongolian: Голмуд meaning "Rivers" in local Western Mongolian dialect; Tibetan It was not until 2006, the whole Qingzang railway finished, linking Lhasa with rest of China. The Qingzang railway, Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway ( mtsho bod lcags lam མཚོ་བོད་ལྕགས་ལམ། is a high-altitude Lhasa, ( in English l̥ʰásə or in Tibetan; Chinese: 拉萨 Pinyin: Lāsà sometimes spelled Lasa, is the administrative capital of the Since then, every province-level entity in the People's Republic of China has a railway network.
The end of steam era
Before the 1980s, due to the low labor cost, ease of manufacture, and cheap coal price, steam locomotives dominated in the Chinese railway. A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" During 1980s-1990s, diesel and electric locomotives gradually replaced the steam engines on the main lines. A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. On some provincial rails, however, steam locomotives were not retired until the 21st century. In December 2005, the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey on the Jitong railway, marking the end of the steam era. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jitong railway is a railway in Inner Mongolia, China opened in 1995 Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used on the industrial railways in China.
See also
References and notes
- Portions of this article are based on a translation of the articles Woosung Road and from the Chinese Wikipedia. Rail transport is the most commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in the People's Republic of China.
- Shanghai-Hangchow Railway
- ^ Hong Kong Railway Society
- ^ http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-749X(1973)7%3A4%3C647%3ACPATDO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W
- ^ Travelling By Train In China
- ^ a b Norton S. Ginsburg, Geographical Review, Vol. The Geographical Review is an Academic journal of the American Geographical Society. 41, No. 3 (Jul. , 1951), pp. 470-474
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic