The Opening of Hangzhou–Quzhou High-Speed Railway

The Hangzhou–Quzhou high-speed railway began operation on December 26; the fastest trip from Hangzhou West to Quzhou West takes 73 minutes.

The Hangzhou–Quzhou high-speed railway links Hangzhou and Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, and together with the existing Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway section from Hangzhou East to Quzhou forms a dual high-speed corridor. The line is 131 kilometers long with a designed top speed of 350 km/h, and construction began in May 2020. There are five stations along the line: Jiande, Jiande South, Longyou North, Quzhou West, and Jiangshan. Among them, Jiande and Jiangshan stations are being renovated and expanded, while the others are newly built. The railway connects to the Hangzhou–Huangshan high-speed railway at Jiande Station to access the Hangzhou hub, links with the Jiujiang–Jingdezhen–Quzhou railway at Quzhou West Station to reach westward to Wuhan, Jiujiang and other places, and at Jiangshan Station allows same-station transfers to the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway. It is an important part of the Yangtze River Delta intercity rapid transit network and, together with the existing Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway section from Hangzhou East to Quzhou, forms a dual high-speed corridor between Hangzhou and Quzhou.

After completion and opening, the Hangzhou–Quzhou high-speed railway will operate at a maximum speed of 350 km/h. In the initial period after opening, 12 EMU trains will run daily, all of which are cross-line services. The fastest travel times from Quzhou West to Hangzhou West and Shanghai Hongqiao are 1 hour 13 minutes and 2 hours 37 minutes, respectively.