Shandong counties access high-speed rail for first time as Xiong'an-Shangqiu route opens

Train G3935 pulled into Liaocheng West Station in Shandong at 10:39 am on Monday, becoming the first train to reach several counties in the province.

The station sits on the 552-kilometer section of the Beijing-Hong Kong high-speed railway between Xiong'an, Hebei province, and Shangqiu, Henan province. With the beginning of service, five Shandong counties and county-level cities, including Linqing, Liangshan, Yanggu, and Yuncheng, gained access to high-speed rail services for the first time.

Of the 16 stations on the section, China Railway Jinan Bureau oversees eight, seven of which are in Shandong.

The benefits for travelers are immediate. During the initial stage of operation, 22 pairs of high-speed trains will operate daily on the section under the Jinan Bureau's jurisdiction, including 13 cross-provincial pairs and nine within Shandong.

On the Liaocheng West Station platform, 64-year-old Guo Xinji watched the Fuxing EMU with emotion. On Sept 1, 1996, he operated a diesel locomotive, the first train through the Liaocheng section of the Beijing–Kowloon Railway.

"Back then, the locomotive could run at only 120 km per hour at most, and the trip from Liaocheng in Shandong to Shangqiu in Henan took more than five hours. Now it takes just over one hour," he said. "Fuxing trains run at 350 km per hour, something we never dared imagine back then."

Railway authorities describe the section as a major new corridor for passenger exchanges between western Shandong and other regions. The new route is expected to improve connectivity for residents and businesses in the region and to support broader efforts to build an integrated high-speed rail network across the province.

"Linqing has a rich cultural heritage, but in the past, poor transport meant few tourists came specifically, and our cultural tourism resources were not fully tapped," said Zhang Jiyue, head of the Canal Cultural Tourism Scenic Area in Linqing, a county located along the Grand Canal.

The opening of the Xiong'an–Shangqiu section has completely changed the situation, she said. "Tourists from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, Central China, and the Yangtze River Delta can now reach us directly, greatly expanding our visitor base. A steady flow of passengers will drive new business formats such as study tours, intangible cultural heritage experiences and nighttime cultural tourism, turning the once-silent ancient canal ruins into a popular destination," said Zhang.

An Xianglin contributed to this story.