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"The Belt and Road" (B&R) leverages proven regional platforms, aiming to build mutual trust, economic integration, and cultural inclusiveness. Today's B&R Forum opening ceremony, featuring Xi Jinping's keynote, includes six parallel sessions on policy, facilities, trade, finance, people-to-people ties, and think tank exchanges. Since its proposal, B&R has gained global attention and delivered remarkable achievements, with many landmark projects, including railways.
Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, a key early harvest of the Belt and Road Initiative, will connect Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia, over 150 km using Chinese technology, standards, and equipment. Designed for speeds of 250-300 km/h (max 350 km/h), it will reduce travel time to 40 minutes. This is China's first full-system, full-factor, full-industry-chain high-speed railway export, marking the first export of China's HSR standards.
Upon completion, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (Jakarta-Bandung HSR) will be Indonesia's and Southeast Asia's first HSR, significant for opening up the East Asian railway construction market. In September 2015, China and Japan submitted bids to Indonesia. Japan's proposal cost 6.2billion,with a 5?year timeline and 255.5 billion, with a 3-year timeline and no sovereign guarantee needed. In October, Indonesia's Minister of State-Owned Enterprises announced China's proposal was accepted, and an agreement would be signed by the end of the month.
The Jakarta-Bandung HSR project is crucial for deepening railway cooperation with Southeast Asian countries and interconnecting transport infrastructure along the Belt and Road Initiative. It marks China's HSR industry's full development from manufacturing, technology to standards, opening new opportunities for Chinese products in the international market.
Moscow-Kazan High-Speed Railway
The Moscow-Kazan High-Speed Railway, part of the Moscow-Beijing route spanning over 7,000 km through Russia, Kazakhstan, and China, is a pilot project for the Eurasian High-Speed Transport Corridor. It extends southeast from Moscow to Kazan in Tatarstan, passing through Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, and Cheboksary, totaling 770 km and planned to extend to Beijing.
China will fund, provide technology and equipment, and negotiate with host countries for operations post-completion (China will offer a $40 billion loan for the project). China will also negotiate resource swaps for railway construction, establishing a long-term cooperation mechanism. The railway will bring significant profits to related industries in China and neighboring countries, improve trade status in northwest China, facilitate Chinese product exports to West Asia and Europe, and contribute to the Silk Road.
Hungary-Serbia Railway
The Hungary-Serbia Railway, spanning 350 km from Budapest to Belgrade (166 km in Hungary and 184 km in Serbia), is a mixed passenger-freight electrified railway with a design speed of 200 km/h. Construction will take 2 years and reduce travel time between the two cities to less than 3 hours.
As a landmark project of China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) cooperation, it meets the complementary interests of both sides. China's rapid railway development over the past 30 years, with mature equipment, technology, and construction experience, offers significant cost-effectiveness. Most CEE countries, including Hungary and Serbia, face transportation infrastructure upgrades. Enhanced cooperation with China in this area will aid transformation and upgrading of facilities and help address China's overcapacity issues.
China-Thailand Railway
On November 18, 2014, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha submitted the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on China-Thailand railway cooperation to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for review. On December 6, 2014, the NLA approved the draft MOU.
In June 2015, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong announced the abandonment of the high-speed rail plan and the joint construction of an 873-km medium-speed rail line (fast rail) from Bangkok to Nong Khai with a design speed of 160-180 km/h.
The fifth meeting on China-Thailand railway cooperation on July 1, 2015, yielded fruitful results, with the first phase of the project scheduled to start in October 2015.
After several delays, the Thai special envoy and Deputy Prime Minister Thanasak Patanaviharn, attending the China-ASEAN Exposition on September 21, 2015, confirmed that Thailand and China were closely cooperating to ensure the project's implementation, with construction expected to begin within the year.
On December 19, 2015, Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong jointly lit the groundbreaking ceremony's light cable, officially launching the project, a symbol of pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.
Currently, China and Thailand are advancing a 3.5-km high-speed rail test line in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand's eastern province, from Gang Dong to Bang Yasuo. According to the latest agreement, the first phase of the China-Thailand Railway project will connect Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, spanning 252.5 km with a design speed of 250 km/h. According to the 2014 plan, the China-Thailand Railway, totaling about 860 km, will extend to Nong Khai on the Thai-Laos border and connect with the ongoing China-Laos Railway, reaching Kunming. Thailand hopes the China-Thailand Railway will extend to Kunming as soon as possible. Despite the obstacles, the completion of the China-Thailand Railway will only benefit Thai people and bring them more gains.
China-Laos Railway
The China-Laos Railway spans from Yuxi, China, to Vientiane, Laos, via Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, and the Mohan border. The Chinese section (Yuxi-Mohan) is 91 km, with a double-tracked segment and a single-tracked segment. The Lao section (Moding-Vientiane) is 418 km, built by China with international standards, capable of 160 km/h for passengers and 120 km/h for freight. It includes 76 tunnels and 154 bridges.
The 508.53 km main line is designed for 160 km/h and is a Grade I electrified railway. The total investment is 50.545 billion yuan, with a 5-year construction period. The governments of China and Laos will jointly fund 40%, with the rest invested by state-owned enterprises.The China-Laos Railway is part of the Trans-Asian Railway's Central Corridor. The Chinese section has started construction and is expected to be completed simultaneously with the Lao section, forming the initial shape of the corridor. Future connections to Thailand and Malaysia are planned.
Southern Malaysia Railway
The Southern Malaysia Railway, a 191.14 km double-track electrified meter-gauge railway between Johor Bahru and Kemaman, features 9 new passenger stations, 2 depots, and 3 open stations near existing lines. It has a passenger speed of 160 km/h and a freight speed of 90 km/h, with a project duration of 48 months.
This is the first railway independently built by Chinese enterprises in Malaysia and the first major overseas project won as a consortium. The "dream team" consortium of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), China Railway Group Limited (CRG), and China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), all Fortune Global 500 companies, recently secured the project, led by CRCC. CRCC accounts for 40% of the construction, totaling 3.56 billion Malaysian ringgit (about 5.791 billion yuan), while CRG and CCCC each account for 30%.
The successful signing of the Southern Malaysia Railway project is significant for enhancing economic exchanges between China and Malaysia and establishing a new "going-out" strategy pattern for Chinese enterprises to "huddle together for warmth" in overseas markets.
Mombasa-Nairobi Railway
The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway (Mombasa Port-Nairobi), the initial segment of the East African Railway Network, spans 480 km and is designed for a capacity of 25 million tons. It connects Nairobi, Kenya's capital, to Mombasa Port, East Africa's largest port, using China's National Railway Class I standards. Future plans envision linking six East African countries.
The single-track, diesel-powered railway is designed for passenger speeds of 120 km/h and freight speeds of 80 km/h, following China's National Railway Class I standards. It's the first overseas railway fully built to Chinese standards.
The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway is a road of friendship, exemplified by Nairobi South Station's interior resembling Chinese high-speed rail stations, equipped with Chinese-made luggage scanners and ticket gates. It benefits Kenyans, strengthens ties between China and Africa, fosters cultural exchanges, and enhances mutual understanding and connectivity.
Aka Railway
The Aka Railway, Africa's first modern railway funded by China Exim Bank and built to Chinese standards, spans 186.5 km with a top speed of 150 km/h. It began operations in July 2016.
CCECC built Nigeria's 1,315 km standard gauge railway, with Aka Railway as the first phase. Aka Railway, costing 850 million (including a 500 million loan from China Exim Bank), was completed in December 2014. To speed up Aka Railway's operation, CCECC trained Nigerian railway professionals, with a course starting in May 2016.
Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway
The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway (Aja Railway), stretching 752.7 km with a designed speed of 120 km/h and 45 stations, is the first full-industry-chain railway "going out" project built by Chinese enterprises overseas, costing about $4 billion and constructed by China Railway Engineering Corporation and China Railway Construction Corporation. It mainly serves freight but also accommodates passengers, reducing travel time from Djibouti to Addis Ababa from 7 days by road to 10 hours.
As Africa's first electrified railway, built entirely with Chinese standards and equipment, its opening ceremony was held at the Labu Station in Addis Ababa. Xu Shaoshi, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping and Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh jointly inaugurated the railway and then boarded the train for a tour.
China-Europe Train
A fast freight train service from China to Europe, suitable for containerized cargo. Currently, there are three routes: western (via Alataw Pass/Horgos in central-west China), central (via Erlianhot in northern China), and eastern (via Manzhouli/Suifenhe in northeastern China).
Since its launch in July 18, 2013, nearly 300 trains have operated. In 2015, 156 trains carried goods valued at $721 million and weighing 62,800 tons, covering three-quarters of China and reaching 108 cities in 20 countries. In 2016, 200 trains were planned, with 20 unloading points and three weekly departures in each direction. In 2017, the number of trains increased by 612, or 158%, compared to the previous year.
Chongqing-Duisburg: Starts from Chongqing's Tuanjiecun, exits via Alataw Pass, passes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland to Duisburg, Germany. 11,000 km, 15 days. Mainly IT products from Chongqing, also attracts other exports from neighboring regions since 2014.
Routes and Operations:
Chengdu-Lodz: Starts from Chengdu's Chengxiang, exits via Alataw Pass, passes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus to Lodz, Poland. 9,965 km, ~14 days. Mainly IT products and other exports from Chengdu.
Zhengzhou-Hamburg: Starts from Zhengzhou's Putian, exits via Alataw Pass, passes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland to Hamburg, Germany. 10,245 km, ~15 days. Cargo from Henan, Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, etc. Includes tires, high-end clothing, sports goods, crafts.
Suzhou-Warsaw: Starts from Suzhou, exits via Manzhouli, passes through Russia, Belarus to Warsaw, Poland. 11,200 km, ~15 days. Mainly IT products like laptops, tablets, LCDs, hard drives, chips.
Wuhan-Czech Republic, Poland: Starts from Wuhan's Wujiashan, exits via Alataw Pass, passes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus to Poland, Czech Republic, etc. 10,700 km, 15 days. Mainly laptops and other consumer electronics from Wuhan, other cargo from neighboring regions.
Changsha-Duisburg: Starts from Changsha's Xianing freight yard, mainly follows Changsha-Duisburg route via Alataw Pass, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany. 11,808 km, 18 days. First train in Oct 30, 2012.
Yiwu-Madrid: Starts from Yiwu West Railway Station, part of the China-Europe Train network. Runs through the New Silk Road Economic Belt, from Yiwu to Madrid via Alataw Pass, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France, Spain. 13,052 km, ~21 days.
Harbin-Russia: Feb 28, 2015, a container train loaded with oil exploration equipment departed Harbin Xiangfang Railway Station, arriving at Bikliang, central Russia 10 days later. Marked the first China-Europe Train from Heilongjiang Province, promoting cooperation with Russia and opening up Heilongjiang.
Harbin-Hamburg: Starts from Harbin, via Manzhouli, Zabaykalsk, Chita, onto the Trans-Siberian Railway, passing through Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Malaszewicze to Hamburg. 9,820 km.
Xining-Antwerp: First China-Europe Train from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, departs from Xining Shuangzhai Railway Logistics Center, to Antwerp, Belgium's second-largest container port. ~12 days. Mainly transports Tibetan carpets, goji berries, etc.
Guangzhou-Moscow: Starts from Guangzhou Dalang, exits via Manzhouli, direct to Moscow. 11,500 km, 41 40" HQ containers, 15 days.
