Hangzhou–Huangshan intercity railway


Hangzhou–Huangshan intercity railway or Hanghuang ICR is a dual-track, electrified, high-speed rail line between Hangzhou, Zhejiang and Huangshan, Anhui. The line runs through northwestern Zhejiang and southern Anhui and accommodates trains traveling at speeds up to. Travel time from Hangzhou to Huangshan was reduced to about one and one-half hour. The line is the first rail link between the two cities and brings counties in mountainous southern Anhui closer to the Yangtze River Delta region. Construction began on June 30, 2014, and the line opened on December 25, 2018.

Route

The high-speed rail line is connecting southern Anhui Province with the Hangzhou, on the eastern seaboard, via northwestern Zhejiang province. Cities and towns along route include Hangzhou, Fuyang, Tonglu, Xiaoshan, Jiande, Chun’an in Zhejiang, and Jixi, She County, and Huangshan in Anhui. At its eastern terminus, Hangzhou, the line is linked to the high-speed rail lines to Shanghai and Nanjing. At its western terminus, Huangshan, the line connects to the Hefei–Fuzhou high-speed railway. Scenic sites along route include Huangshan, the ancient villages in southern Anhui, Qiandao Lake, and Hangzhou.

History

The Hanghuang high-speed rail project was initially approved by the State Development and Planning Commission in July 2010. Construction was to begin later in that year and was scheduled to be completed by as early as 2013. After two rounds of environmental assessments of surveys in 2010 and 2011, the project was revised. In August 2013, planners announced that the route would run in Zhejiang and in Anhui with 10 stations, including eight new stations. Two stations, Shexian South and Sanyang were added to the original plan, which had Hangzhou East, Hangzhou South, Fuyang, Tonglu, Jiande, Chunan, Jixi North and Huangshan North. The Jiande-to-Jixi section of the line would use seamless steel rails laid on concrete rail bed. The Xiaoshan South-to-Jiande and Jixi-to-Huangshan sections would have rail laid on conventional gravel beds. The design speed of the railway was changed from an initial speed of with expansion capability for operation to 250 km/h without any expansion capability to higher speeds. Construction began on June 30, 2014 and the line was opened on December 25, 2018.