The high-speed rail (HSR) network in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the world's longest and most extensively used – with a total length of by the end of 2022. The HSR network encompasses newly built rail lines with a design speed of . China's HSR accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed railway networks. Almost all HSR trains, track and service are owned and operated by the China Railway Corporation under the brand China Railway High-speed (CRH).
High-speed rail developed rapidly in China since the mid-2000s. CRH was introduced in April 2007 and the Beijing-Tianjin intercity rail, which opened in August 2008, was the first passenger dedicated HSR line. Currently, the HSR extends to all provincial-level administrative divisions and Hong Kong SAR, with the exception of Macau SAR. The HSR network reached just under in total length by the end of 2020. The HSR building boom continues with the HSR network set to reach in 2035.
Notable HSR lines in China include the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway which at is the world's longest HSR line in operation, and the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway with the world's fastest operating conventional train services. The Shanghai Maglev is the world's first high-speed commercial magnetic levitation ("maglev") line, whose trains run on non-conventional track and reach a top speed of . In 2020, China started testing a maglev prototype train that runs at and planned a 2025 launch date.
There are concerns over the high-speed rail's cost, debt and profitability. As of the end of 2021 the system has an accumulated debt ranging from $900 billion USD to $1.8 trillion USD due to opaque financing by local governments, while there has been a daily operating loss of $24 million USD which has been attributed to the central and western lines which operate far below their full capacity. A Paulson Institute research argued that the net benefit of the high-speed rail is $378 billion and the return on investment is 6.5%. A World Bank study found "a broad range of travelers of different income levels choose HSR for its comfort, convenience, safety and punctuality."
The Wenzhou train collision, which killed 40 people and injured 192, exposed critical defects in railway signal design and poor management by the railway company. This fatal accident, which happened in the midst of corruption investigations into railway officials, led to greater scrutiny in the Chinese press concerning HSR safety, high ticket prices, financial sustainability, and environmental impact.
Definition and terminology
High-speed rail in China is officially defined as "newly-built passenger-dedicated rail lines designed for electrical multiple unit (EMU) train sets traveling at not less than (including lines with reserved capacity for upgrade to the standard) on which initial service operate at not less than ." EMU train sets have no more than 16 railcars with axle load not greater than 17 tonnes and a headway of three minutes or less.
Thus, high-speed rail service in China requires high-speed EMU train sets to be providing passenger service on high speed rail lines at speeds of not less than . EMU trains operating on non-high speed track or otherwise but at speeds below are not considered high-speed rail. Certain mixed use freight and passenger rail lines, that can be upgraded for train speeds of , with current passenger service of at least , are also considered high-speed rail.
In common parlance, high-speed train service in China generally refers to G-, D- and C-class passenger train service.
G-class () train service generally features EMU trains running on passenger-dedicated high-speed rail lines and operating at top speeds of at least . For example, the G7 train from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao, which runs on the Beijing–Shanghai HSR, a line with an operating speed of . D-class () train service features EMU trains running at lower speeds, whether on high-speed or non-high-speed track. D-class trains can vary widely in actual trip speed. The non-stop D211 train from Guiyang East to Guangzhou South on the Guiyang–Guangzhou HSR, a line with designed speed of , averages for the trip. The D312 EMU sleeper train between Beijing South and Shanghai on the non-high speed Beijing–Shanghai railway averages for the trip. C-class () train service that operate on high-speed track at speeds above are also considered high-speed rail service. For example, C-class trains on the Beijing–Tianjin ICR, reach top speeds of and completing the trip in 30 mins.