Chengdu-Chongqing High-Speed Railway Track Laying Begins, 50-Minute Travel Time Expected

Track laying officially commenced on May 30, 2026, for the Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway, a landmark infrastructure project that will slash travel time between the two southwestern Chinese metropolises to just 50 minutes. The ceremony took place on the Jianyang-to-Lezhi section in Sichuan Province, marking the project’s transition from civil engineering to the final construction phase, according to CCTV News.

The project, first proposed by Chongqing in its 2017 long-term rail plan, received feasibility study approval from the National Development and Reform Commission in August 2021 and officially broke ground in November 2022. Since then, construction has accelerated through a series of rapid milestones throughout 2024, 2025, and 2026.

A Milestone in Regional Connectivity

The 292-kilometer (181-mile) railway, designed for speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph), will connect Chengdu Station in Sichuan Province with Chongqing North Station in the neighboring municipality. A section between Jianzhou and Tongliang has been reserved for a future 400 km/h upgrade, making it one of China’s fastest rail corridors. The total investment stands at 69.273 billion yuan (approximately $9.6 billion USD), as approved by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Once operational, the journey between Chengdu and Chongqing — currently about 1.5 hours via the existing Chengdu-Chongqing Passenger Dedicated Line — will be reduced to under an hour. This transformation is central to China’s national strategy of building the Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-City Economic Circle, a key regional development initiative alongside the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Construction Progress and Engineering Feats

The commencement of track laying marks a significant milestone after years of intensive civil engineering. According to Wikipedia, all 41 tunnels and all bridges along the entire line have been completed as of late May 2026, with the final tunnel — the 10,380-meter Shu’an Tunnel — breaking through on May 22.

The railway traverses complex geology including the Longquan Mountains, Jinyun Mountains, and Zhongliang Mountains. The Shu’an Tunnel, the longest on the route, passed beneath Chengdu’s dense urban area, crossing under the Chengdu Ring Expressway, existing railways, metro lines, and more than 50 critical structures at depths of up to 62 meters. The Jingkou Jialing River Bridge was another major engineering challenge that was successfully completed in March 2026.

Eight Stations Along the Route

The line will feature eight stations in total, including existing Chengdu Station and Chongqing North Station, along with six new stations: Jianzhou, Lezhi, Anyue, Dazu Rock Carvings, Tongliang, and Science City. Notably, the Dazu Rock Carvings Station will provide direct access to the UNESCO World Heritage site, while Tongliang Station will serve the famous Tongliang Dragon Dance cultural attraction.

As China Daily noted in an April 2026 commentary, “The high-speed rail acts as a thread, stringing together a ‘pearl necklace’ of cultural tourism.” The improved accessibility is expected to significantly boost regional tourism.

Economic and Strategic Implications

The railway is a critical component of China’s “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” high-speed rail network, specifically the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu corridor along the Yangtze River. It addresses a key gap in the existing network: the current Chengdu-Chongqing Passenger Dedicated Line terminates at Chongqing Station (a terminus) and does not connect seamlessly with the eastward沿江 corridor. The new central line runs directly into Chongqing North Station, enabling through-service connectivity.

The project is also central to the national strategy of building the Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-City Economic Circle, which aims to create an economic powerhouse in western China comparable to the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions. The railway will serve as the backbone of this integration effort, linking two cities with a combined GDP exceeding 7 trillion yuan.

Experts project that the 50-minute travel time will effectively create a single metropolitan area of approximately 30 million people between Chengdu and Chongqing, facilitating the movement of goods, talent, and capital between the two cities, which have complementary economic strengths. Chengdu is a hub for technology and services, while Chongqing excels in manufacturing and logistics.

Looking Ahead

With all major civil engineering works now complete and track laying underway, the project remains firmly on track for its planned 2027 completion. The railway will connect with the Xi’an-Chengdu HSR, Zhengzhou-Chongqing HSR, and under-construction Xining-Chengdu and Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou HSR lines, further integrating western China with the economically developed eastern regions.

As construction enters its most visible phase, the laying of steel rails across the Sichuan Basin brings the vision of a seamless “dual-city life” closer to reality for millions of residents in China’s southwest.