To help boost the development of Xiongan New Area, which was established on April 1, 2017 by the central authorities, the country is widening its rail links with other regions to boost its fast development.
A new section of high-speed railway linking Xiongan with Shangqiu in Henan province has started its construction.
Xiongan New Area spans the three counties of Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin in Hebei Province, and is aimed at helping relocate Beijing’s organizations performing duties nonessential to its role as the nation’s capital and seek a new advancement model for densely populated areas.
The Xiongan-Shangqiu section, part of Beijing-Xiongan-Shangqiu HSR running for 639 kilometers with 18 railway stations, is partially built by China Railway No 4 Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREC4) and will extend for 552 km with 16 stations allowing trains to run at a designed speed of 350 km per hour. Upon operation, it will connect with the Beijing-Xiongan section, and some other HSR, boosting the further progress of Xiongan.
Xiongan New Area, dubbed a “millennium project” benefiting the future generations for many years to come, is also expected to help advance the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission, investment on building Xiongan New Area has reached 400 billion yuan ($57.1 billion) by September 20 since the area’s establishment.
A launching ceremony was held for builders via video link in Xiongan New Area, Liaocheng in Shandong Province and Puyang in Henan on September 29, showcasing the start in building the Xiongan-Shangqiu section.
CREC4’s job, or the No 11 bid for the new HSR, runs for 17.38 km, starting from Taiqian County in Henan’s Puyang and ending at Jining City of Shandong. Its main construction includes a super-bridge traversing the Yellow River, which is a key project for the whole line.
Currently, builders from CREC4 Fourth Engineering Co., Ltd are also helping build a high-speed railway, known as the R1 line, to link Xiongan with Beijing’s Daxing International Airport.
The R1 line will serve as an intercity metro line between Beijing and Xiongan, and is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2023 or early 2024. At present, there is an HSR in operation that starts from Beijing West Railway Station and ends at Xiongan Railway Station.
It is learned that the R1 line will have Financial Island Station, the Group Five Station, Xiongxian Station, Xiongan Station, Bazhou Economic Development Zone Station and Yongqing Station and connects with the Phase I of Daxing Airport Line.
Builders from CREC4 Fourth Engineering are in charge of building the No 1 to 148 piers of the viaduct between Bazhou Economic Development Zone Station (excluded) and Yongqing Section, with a total length of 4.8 kilometers for rail bridges and 31.1 kilometers for ballastless tracks.
CREC4 Fourth Engineering Co., Ltd established its Xiongan Regional Branch on July 7 to help boost the construction work. The regional branch can also help explore other businesses in the Xiongan New Area.
It has been learned that the Xiongan-Shangqiu section of Beijing-Xiongan-Shangqiu HSR will also be an important part of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Taiwan HSR included in the country’s “eight verticals and eight horizontals” HSR network. Upon operation, it will connect with the Beijing-Xiongan section, and some other high-speed railways in the country, boosting the regional passenger flow and bolstering the regional economic and social progress.