- History of rail transport in China
The history of rail transport in China began with foreign assistance. Since then, it has made advances with domestic and foreign technology.
Qing Dynasty era
Early efforts
The first railroad in
China , theWoosung Road [http://www.hkrs.org.hk/newsletter/thrutrain/tt9809/ewoosung.htm] (or Woosung Railway), began its service in July1876 , connectingShanghai and Woosung (nowBaoshan District ). This railway was, however, built by Jardine & Matheson without approval from the Qing government. In the eyes of the Qing officials, thelocomotive was nothing but an iron monster. Soon, it was purchased by the government and was demolished in October 1877. [ [http://www.hkrs.org.hk/newsletter/thrutrain/tt9809/ewoosung.htm Hong Kong Railway Society ] ] [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-749X(1973)7%3A4%3C647%3ACPATDO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W]The second railway in China was a 10 km railway from
Tangshan toXugezhuang , built in 1881 to transport the coals from the coal mine in Tangshan. As was the case in Shanghai, many officers in the Qing government opposed building this railway. Fortunately, the railway was backed by the powerfulViceroy of Zhili ,Li Hongzhang , and survived. Nevertheless, further extension of this railway was delayed due to the opposition. The western extension from Xugezhuang toTianjin was finished by 1888. The eastern extension started from Tangshan, and by 1894, it had reached Shanhaiguan andSuizhong . This railway was then called "Guanneiwai Railway" (literally, inner and outer Shanhaiguan railway).The next effort was made by
Taiwan GovernorLiu Mingchuan . During 1887 to 1893, 107 km of railway tracks were laid fromKeelung toTaipei toHsinchu . However, this railway was demolished for modernization later when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.Fast development during 1895-1911
The Qing's defeat in the
First Sino-Japanese War was a tragedy to China. 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 thegreat power s to grant permissions to construct railways in China as well as many privileges, such as settlement or mining along the railway. By 1911, there were around 9000 km of rails in China. Most of the rails used thestandard gauge (1435 mm).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, andJinpu railway . Jinghan railway was from Beijing toHankou . 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. Jinpu railway was build during 1908-1912. It started at Tianjin, connecting Jingfeng railway, and ended atPukou .Jingzhang railway (from Beijing to
Zhangjiakou ) was the first railway designed and constructed by Chinese in 1905-1909. This railway crossed the rugged mountains in the north of Beijing. The chief engineer wasZhan Tianyou . He is called the Father of China's Railway.Zhengtai railway was a railway to
Taiyuan , finished in 1907. It connected Jinghan railway atShijiazhuang . (In the original plan, this railway connected Jianghan railway atZhengding . That's why it was called Zheng-Tai railway.)Jiaoji Railway (Qingdao toJinan inShandong ) was built by Germany and completed in 1904.Sino-Vietnamese Railway was a 855km railway built by France during 1904-1910, connectingHaiphong ,Vietnam withKunming . The section within China from Kunming toHekou is 466 km and the section within Vietnam is 389 km. 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 toNanjing railway was built in 1905-1908. Construction of the 189 km railway between Shanghai and Hangchow (now Hangzhou) was completed in 1909. [ [http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r076.html Travelling By Train In China ] ]The
Kowloon-Canton Railway was completed in 1911, connecting the southern city of Canton (now Guangzhou) withKowloon in the then British crown colony ofHong Kong .Chinese Eastern Railway
The
Chinese Eastern Railway was a single-tracked line extending (and shortening) the famous world's longest railroad, theTrans-Siberian Railway , from near the Siberian city of Chita viaHarbin across northern innerManchuria to the Russian port ofVladivostok . 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.Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway started in July 1897 along the line
Tarskaya (east of Chita) - Hailar - Harbin - Nikolsk. Officially, traffic on the line started in November 1901, but regular passenger traffic fromSaint Petersburg to Vladivostok across the Trans-Siberian railway started in July 1903.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 theLiaodong 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. This town was known in the west as Port Arthur.The Chinese Eastern Railway was essentially completed in 1902, beating the stretch around
Lake Baikal , by fourteen years. 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 toJapan . The rail line fromChangchun to Lüshun transferred to Japanese control, and now became the South Manchuria Railway.The original gauge used in the eastern railway was the Russia 1520mm broad gauge. Later, when Japan gradually took control this railway, the gauge was changed to the standard gauge (1435mm).
outh 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 company was created when, in accordance with theTreaty 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 theKwantung Leased Territory . From 1906 or 1910 until 1925, the company also operated the Korean railway system.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. By 1948, the number of usable kilometers of rail was estimated at only 8000 km due to theChinese 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.Norton S. Ginsburg,"Geographical Review ", Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul., 1951), pp. 470-474]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. 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. OnOctober 14 1949 , the cross-border service on theKowloon-Canton Railway was suspended as a result of the communist takeover, and it was not resumed untilApril 4 1979 .Railway links to the vast western China
By 1952,
Longhai Railway finally reached its long-planned western terminus -Lanzhou . Lanzhou was then developed as a major railway hub in the northwestern China. A 1900 km railway was built from Lanzhou toUrumqi , the capital ofXinjiang , between 1952-1962. The railway to Xizang or Tibet, however, was more difficult to build due to the high altitude and terrain. Railway was first extended toXining . By 1984, another section between Xining andGolmud was completed. It was not until 2006, the wholeQingzang railway finished, linkingLhasa with rest of China. 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 locomotive s dominated in the Chinese railway. During 1980s-1990s, diesel andelectric locomotive s gradually replaced the steam engines on the main lines. On some provincial rails, however, steam locomotives were not retired until the 21st century. In December2005 , the world's last regular revenue mainline steam train finished its journey Fact|date=March 2007 on theJitong railway , marking the end of the steam era. Nevertheless, there are still some steam locomotives used on the industrial railways in China.ee also
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Transportation in China
*Rail transport in the People's Republic of China
*CHINA’S SECOND “FIRST” RAILWAY - The Development of Kaiping Tramway into IMPERIAL RAILWAYS OF NORTH CHINA [http://www.hkrs.org.hk/members/crush/kaiping/index.htm]
*THE CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY - A Glimpse of History [http://www.hkrs.org.hk/members/crush/CER_1.htm]References and notes
*"Portions of this article are based on a translation of the articles Woosung Road and from the Chinese Wikipedia."
*Shanghai-Hangchow Railway
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