Beijing-Qinhuangdao Railway:

The Beijing-Qinhuangdao Railway, with total mileage of 293 km, began operation in 1983, marking the first double-line electrified railway in China.

Beijing-Kowloon Railway:

The Beijing-Kowloon Railway, which began operation in 1996, connects Beijing with Kowloon in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 2,553-km dual-track railway, running through Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi and Guangdong, helps alleviate congestion on the busy Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, foster development in the old revolutionary base areas along the line and promote stability and prosperity in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Beijing-Tianjin Railway:

The Beijing-Tianjin Inter-City Railway began operation in July 2008. It is so far the fastest railway line in China, with operating speed reaching 350 km per hour. As the first railway with fully independent intellectual property rights, it has reached the world level in quality.

Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway:

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway was completed in 1994, marking the first quasi high-speed railway. The management firm—Guangshen Railway Co. Ltd.—launched its initial public offering in both Hong Kong and New York in May 1996, and was the first railway management company listed abroad.

Baoji-Chengdu Railway:

The Baoji-Chengdu Railway, which runs 669 km from Baoji in Shaanxi Province to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, is China's first electrified railway. Completed in 1958, it is the first mountain railway joining northwest and southwest China. To eliminate slope, it wound for 27 km around the Qinling Mountains at a vertical distance of 6 km between the Yangjiawan Station and the Qinling Tunnel.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway:

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest and longest plateau railroad, was inaugurated on July 1, 2006, one year ahead of schedule. The high-altitude railway, which connects Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, with Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is also the first railway to connect inland China with Tibet. The total length of the railway is 1,956 km. Construction of the 815-km section between Xining and Golmud, Qinghai, was completed by 1984, and the 1,142-km section between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated on July 1, 2006. Builders of the railway overcame numerous difficulties, including permafrost, thin air and vulnerable ecology. The railway has replaced highways to Tibet as the major freight carrier.

Nanning-Kunming Railway:

The Nanning-Kunming Railway, which runs 898 km from Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, was completed in 1997. Mainly laid in tough mountainous areas, it passes through coastal bay areas, lakes, rivers and the high-altitude Yungui Plateau, with relative elevation difference of 2,010 meters, quite rare in the history of China's railway construction. Construction of the railway, including 447 bridges and 258 tunnels, met with many difficulties, and its completion signals that China's railway construction ability in mountainous areas has reached an advanced level.

Beijing-Shanghai Railway:

Construction of the 1,318-km-long Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway began on April 18, 2008, with total investment of 220.9 billion yuan. Its top speed is expected to reach 350 km per hour (220 mph), cutting the travel time between Beijing and Shanghai from 10 hours to 5 hours. A batch of advanced and environmentally friendly technologies will be used on this railway, including high-speed welded and ballastless wheel technology, shock absorption technology, noise reduction, low energy consumption and less electromagnetic interference.

Longhai Railway:

With total mileage of 1,759 km, the railway, which began operation in July 1953, is the major rail line that runs across east and west China from Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province. The railway also constitutes an important part of the new Eurasia Continental Bridge from Lianyungang to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.