Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway

Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway
海南东环高速铁路 (海南东环铁路, 海南东环高铁)

Train arriving at Haikou East Station
Overview
Type High-speed rail
Status Operational
Locale (Hainan)
Termini Haikou
Sanya
Stations 15
Services 1
Operation
Opening January 7, 2011
Rolling stock CRH1A, CRH380A
Technical
Line length 213.5 kilometres (132.7 mi)
No. of tracks FLUG
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius 5,500 m
Operating speed 250 kilometres per hour (160 mph)
Route map
Legend
 0 km Haikou
 10 km Changliu
 15 km Xiuying
 20 km Chengxi
 24 km Haikou East
38 km Meilan
 89 km Wenchang
 139 km Qionghai
 152 km Bo'ao
 147 km Hele
 193 km Wanning
 215 km Shenzhou
 242 km Lingshui
 296 km Yalong Bay
308 km Sanya
Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway
Simplified Chinese 海南东环铁路
Traditional Chinese 海南東環鐵路
Literal meaning Hainan Eastern Ring Railway

The Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway is a high-speed railway on Hainan Island, China. Opened in December 2010, the railway links the capital Haikou at the northern end of the province to Sanya, a growing tourist city at the southernmost region of Hainan.

History

The idea for the railway was first proposed in February 1958 by then Vice-Premier and Director of the National Planning Commission, Li Fuchun, during an inspection tour of Hainan. The original proposal was for a railway that would go completely around the island. It would incorporate several railway sections that had recently been, or were about to be, reconstructed in the southwestern part of the island (see Hainan Western Ring Railway).

In February 1960, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Hainan and created a construction blueprint. In May 1963, Li Fuchun returned to inspect Hainan. His intention was for a ten-year plan to complete the railway. This was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, and the plan suspended. In the summer of 1980, the State Council made the decision to speed up development and construction of Hainan Island. The Guangdong–Hainan Train Ferry was completed in December 2004, and the Hainan Western Ring Railway along the western coast of the island from Haikou to Sanya was completed in 2005.

Preparation for the construction project in the eastern half of the island officially started in March 2006, with the National Development and Reform Commission officially approving the feasibility report on March 22, 2007.[1]

Construction began on September 29, 2007,[1] and the railway went into service on December 30, 2010.[2] With a projected cost of over 22.22 billion RMB (approximately US$3.3 billion) shared between China's Ministry of Railways and the Hainan provincial government, this was Hainan's largest single investment project to date and employed a workforce of 50,000.[1] Items of expenditure included 17.7 billion RMB on fixed assets and 1.5 billion RMB on trains.[3]

The expected maximum speed is 250 k.p.h. along the dual track line.[4] The railway runs through the majority of Hainan's tourism areas which 90 percent of tourists usually visit.[4] In 2010, the railway was awarded the Ministry of Railways locomotive trophy.[5]

The official opening and start of operations of the Eastern Ring Railway took place on December 30, 2010.[1] At the opening ceremony, Luo Baoming, governor of Hainan, stated that the railway will promote urbanization and greatly improve the island's transportation capacity.[6]

Trains

Interior of a second class coach.
Second class coach/dining car (ZEC)

Each train comprises eight cars, including five power cars, and 3 trailers. They are CRH1A type Harmony ("Hexie Hao" simplified Chinese: 和谐号; traditional Chinese: 和諧號; pinyin: Héxié Hào) EMU trains. The total length is 213.5 metres having a total weight of 420.4 tons.[7]

Passenger cars comprise two first-class and five second-class cars, and one dining car. The first-class cars are model Dingyuan 64, and the second-class cars are Dingyuan 92.[8]

The dining car provides fast food and drinks.[8]

The washrooms are designed to facilitate the disabled.[8]

Operation

Ticket

The railway runs from the Haikou Railway Station (海口站) to Sanya Railway Staion. But many trains terminate in Haikou East Railway Station. Trains are designed to travel at approximately 250 km/h and will stop at a selective of the 15 stations on the line. Travel time is 1 hour and 22 minutes.[1]

Trial run started on 30 December 2010.[9] The line was put into revenue service on January 7, 2011.

The total length of the route is 308.11 km, and will contain 10 pairs of trains traveling per day.[10]

The fare for a full journey between Haikou and Sanya is 114 RMB for a first-class seat, and 95 RMB for a second-class seat.[10] Tickets can be purchased up to ten days in advance and are available at the station counters or from vending machines.[11]

Since March 8, 2011, CRH380A started to serve this line. But due to the track limitation, the maximum speed won't exceed 250 km/h.[12]

Schedule

Departure times are as follows:[13]

Origin Departure times
Haikou 07:00 08:40 10:15 11:30 12:50 14:30 16:30 18:20 19:00 20:30
Sanya 07:00 08:00 09:30 10:50 12:30 14:00 15:11 16:25 18:10 20:10

Stations

A total of 20 stations are already built or will be phased in gradually:[14]

Note: ♦ denotes Under construction or planned

Planned Hainan Western High-Speed Ring Railway

On December 30, 2010, an announcement was made that another high-speed railway will be built on the west coast of Hainan. The 345 km Hainan Western Ring High-Speed Railway, largely paralleling the existing Hainan Western Ring Railway, is planned to link up with the Hainan Eastern Ring Railway at both ends. The new western ring is projected to cost 26.78 billion yuan, and is expected to be completed in 2015.[6][15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Hainan steps into a new ers with the official opening of the Eastern Ring Railway (海南邁入高鐵時代 東環鐵路今正式開通運營(圖)" (in Chinese). Big5.ce.cn. December 30, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  2. ↑ "WORLD’S LARGEST HS NETWORK". Railways Africa. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Haikou's new railway drives trackside development (海口轻轨建设带动沿线腾飞)" (in Chinese). Sohu.com. June 15, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Asia Pulse (3 January 2011). "China Opens High-speed US$3Bln High-Speed in Hainan". Dow Jones Factiva. APULSE0020110103e713000ji.
  5. ↑ 海南东环铁路获2010年铁道部火车头奖杯- 中国日报网
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 First high-speed railway opens in China's southernmost island – GlobalTimes. Life.globaltimes.cn (2010-12-31). Retrieved on 2011-01-07.
  7. ↑ "Hainan Island's High speed railway to begin operations (海南島高鐵將開通運營)" (in Chinese). 15 December 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 探秘海南东环铁路：首列动车组即将试运行_中国高铁 – 人民铁道网
  9. ↑ Xinhua (December 31, 2010). "First high-speed railway opens in China's southernmost island". Global Times. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "First class ticket on Hainan's Eastern Ring Railway to cost 114 RMB (海南東環鐵售票 一等車票114元)" (in Chinese). News.wenweipo.com. December 28, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  11. ↑ 东环铁“和谐号”30日正式“起飞”_新闻中心_海南在线
  12. ↑ 海南东环高铁开行CRH380A型动车组
  13. ↑ "Public announcement of ticket prices and timetable for the Eastern Ring Railway (东环高铁动车组票价时刻表公布)" (in Chinese). Hainan Provincial People's Government. 29 December 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Hainan Steps into anEra of High Speed Railways (海南吉林迈入"高铁时代")" (in Chinese). People's Daily Online. December 31, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Hainan International Tourism Island Steps in to the Age of High Speed Rail Age (海南吉林迈入高铁时代 高铁激活国际旅游岛)" (in Chinese). January 4, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hainan East Ring Railway.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rail transport in China.