China has set an ambitious target to expand its national railway operating mileage to approximately 180,000 kilometers by 2030, including around 60,000 kilometers of high-speed rail, according to the annual work conference of China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) held on January 4.

The announcement outlines the strategic blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The goal is to significantly strengthen strategic backbone corridors, complete the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network, and achieve a historic upgrade in regional connectivity and freight capacity, laying the foundation for a world-class modern railway system.

This long-term vision builds on the remarkable achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). During that period, China’s total railway network grew from 146,300 km to 165,000 km, while its high-speed rail soared from 37,900 km to 50,400 km—an increase of 32.98%. These figures cement China's position as having the world’s largest and most advanced high-speed railway network.

Looking at operational performance, national railways handled 16.2 billion passenger trips and 19.6 billion tons of freight during the last five years, up 8.7% and 24.1% respectively compared with the previous five-year period. This reflects a historic transition of rail transport in China—from being a bottleneck constraining growth to becoming basically adaptive to economic and social development.

In 2026, the immediate focus remains on sustaining growth, with China Railway planning to put more than 2,000 kilometers of new lines into operation this year. By 2030, the plan also targets double-tracking and electrification rates to reach 64% and 78%, respectively, marking a major step toward a highly efficient, green, and integrated national railway network.

Source：http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/20260105/9a3aa80e9b5c428ca3d6ecb84ace9e09/c.html