Chengdu–Dujiangyan High-Speed Railway

Chengdu-Dujiangyan High-Speed Railway
Traditional Chinese	成都-都江堰高速鐵路
Simplified Chinese	成都-都江堰高速铁路
Literal meaning	Chengdu-Dujiangyan High-speed Railway
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Chéngdū-Dūjiāngyàn gāosù tiělù
Alternate name 1
Traditional Chinese	成灌快速客運鐵路
Simplified Chinese	成灌快速客运铁路
Literal meaning	Chengguan Rapid Speed Passenger Rail Line
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Chéngguàn kuàisù kèyùn tiělù
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	成都-都江堰城際鐵路
Simplified Chinese	成都-都江堰城际铁路
Literal meaning	Chengdu-Dujiangyan Intercity Railway
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin chéngdū-dūjiāngyàn chéngjì tiělù

The Chengdu-Dujiangyan High Speed Railway is a dual-track, electrified, passenger-dedicated, high-speed rail line in Sichuan Province, China. It connects the provincial capital, Chengdu with the satellite city of Dujiangyan in Guan County. The line is 65 kilometres (40 mi) in length with 15 stations. China Railways CRH1 train sets on the line reach a maximum speed of 220 kilometres per hour (140 mph) and make the full-trip in 30 minutes. The line was built in 18 months and entered into operation on May 12, 2010. The railway is built to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

Route

Chengdu-Dujiangyan High Speed Railway under construction.

Chengdu-Dujiangyan High Speed Railway's elevated tracks.

The railway runs from the Chengdu North Railway Station to Dujiangyan’s Qingchengshan Station and passes through Pi County. Bridges and tunnels account for 67.8% of the line's total length. The longest viaduct is some 21 kilometres (13 mi). The line is built to withstand future earthquakes. Sound insulation panels were installed alongside the railway to reduce train noise near the tracks.^[1] Clear panels allow passengers to enjoy rural scenery along this route.^[1] The line shortened rail travel time from Chengdu to Dujiangyan by half, and will bring more tourist traffic to Dujiangyan’s World Heritage Sites, the city's ancient irrigation system and Mount Qingcheng, a sacred Daoist mountain.

Trains

The route uses CRH1 trains in eight-car train sets, which can carry 661 passengers.^[2] Each day, 15 pairs of trains are scheduled daily between Chengdu and Dujiangyan’s Qingchengshan Station.

History

On May 28, 2008, 16 days after the Wenchuan Earthquake devastated Dujiangyan and the western suburbs of Chengdu, the Chengdu city government and the Ministry of Railways agreed to build a high-speed railway line as part of the reconstruction of the disaster zone. ^[3] Construction began on November 4, 2008 and involved 20,000 workers at the cost of Y13 billion.^[1] The line entered trial operation on April 1, 2010 and full commercial operation began on May 12, 2010, the second anniversary of the large earthquake that killed some 70,000 people in the region.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Zhang Jiawei, "High-speed rail to bring in new era for Chengdu after quake" China Daily 2010-05-12
2. ^ (Chinese) "震后四川建首条城际快客 连通成都和都江堰" 新民晚报 2010-05-12
3. ^ (Chinese) "汶川震区首个灾后重建重大项目成灌快铁建设纪实" Xinhua 2010-05-12