Wuhan–Yichang section of the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed railway officially opened

“This country needs hundreds of thousands of kilometers of railways.”

In July 1949, before the founding of P.R. China, Mao Zedong sketched a bold vision.

Back then, China had just 22,000 km of railways — and Hubei only a few hundred.

76 years later, the rails tell a very different story.

China's railway network now exceeds 160,000 km, with 50,000 km of high-speed rail — the longest in the world, accounting for over two-thirds of the global total.
With the opening of the Wuhan–Yichang section of the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed railway, Hubei’s high-speed rail mileage has reached 2,585 km, jumping from 13th to 5th nationwide. Total railway length now exceeds 6,000 km.

This is more than added mileage — it’s a transformation:

• 1-hour life circle links Wuhan, Xiangyang, and Yichang
• A key transport hub of central China
• High-speed rail reaches every city of Hubei, bringing opportunity to mountains and plains alike

Along these tracks, lives are changing:

• Long-distance couples reunite faster
• Entrepreneurs reach wider markets
• Students in remote areas access better education

2,585 km is not just a number for Hubei — it’s a reshaped economic map, a rising development level, and a bridge between regions.
From railways shaping Hubei to railways connecting China, these tracks reflect decades of work — and where the country is headed next.

Source: Hubei Daily