High-speed rail mileage in Yangtze River Delta to exceed 8,500 kilometres

According to the Anhui Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, published on 29 October 2026, three high-speed rail lines in Anhui, namely the Huaibei–Bengbu, Huaibei–Fuyang and Chaohu–Maanshan railways, have entered trial operation on the same day, marking the final phase before official opening. Once commissioned, the total operational railway length across the Yangtze River Delta will surpass 15,800 kilometres, with high-speed rail stretching more than 8,500 kilometres. Anhui’s high-speed rail network will exceed 3,300 kilometres, and five counties including Suixi, Guzhen, Mengcheng, Lixin and Hexian will gain high-speed rail access for the first time.

Prior to trial operation, the three lines completed integrated commissioning and testing. Test trains, comprehensive inspection trains and EMUs ran back and forth at different speeds, alongside full-line connectivity trials. The maximum test speed of the comprehensive inspection trains reached 385 kilometres per hour. The Huaibei–Bengbu line deployed 1,476 test trains covering 50,478 kilometres; the Huaibei–Fuyang line ran 930 test trains for 42,958 kilometres; the Chaohu–Maanshan line operated 769 test trains over 24,774 kilometres. All three lines finished commissioning work as scheduled and moved into trial operation.

The Huaibei–Bengbu high-speed railway runs across the northern Anhui plain. It starts at Huaibei North Station, passes through Huaibei, Suzhou and Bengbu, and terminates at Bengbu South Station. The new main line measures roughly 161 kilometres, built for a design speed of 350 kilometres per hour. It serves six stations and comprises 23 bridges and one tunnel, with a bridge-tunnel ratio of 89.9 per cent.

The Huaibei–Fuyang high-speed railway branches from Shuangduiji Station on the Huaibei–Bengbu line. It travels through Mengcheng County, Lixin County and Yingquan District of Fuyang, ending at Fuyang West Station. The new main line extends approximately 142.5 kilometres, with a design speed of 350 kilometres per hour. There are four stations along the route, and 14 bridges with a combined length of 126.8 kilometres, giving a bridge proportion of 88.98 per cent.

The Chaohu–Maanshan high-speed railway begins at Chaohu East Station and runs eastwards through Hanshan County, Hexian County, Dangtu County and urban districts of Maanshan to Maanshan East Station. Its new main line is about 61 kilometres long, designed for 350 kilometres per hour. The line serves five stations and includes 24 bridges and six tunnels, with a bridge-tunnel ratio of 79.6 per cent.