THE Beijing-Kowloon Railway, a crucial north-south rail artery linking Beijing with Shenzhen and extending to Hong Kong, celebrated 30 years of full operation Tuesday. Over the years, it has facilitated 1.77 billion passenger trips and transported 1.05 billion metric tons of freight, according to the China State Railway Group.

Spanning 2,397 kilometers, the railway extends from Beijing West Railway Station through eight provincial-level regions to Shenzhen, where it connects with services to Hong Kong. When it opened Sept. 1, 1996, it was China’s largest railway project at the time.

The line has alleviated pressure on the nation’s north-south transport network and introduced rail services to areas such as the Dabie Mountains and southern Jiangxi Province. It has played a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of people and goods between northern China, central regions, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Following five rounds of speed enhancements, the maximum speed of passenger trains has increased from 60 kilometers per hour to 160 km/h. Consequently, travel time between Beijing and Shenzhen has been reduced from 49 hours to less than 22 hours. Annual passenger traffic on the railway has reached a peak of 95.1 million trips, more than four times the level recorded in its early years.

The route has also evolved into a significant freight corridor. Ganzhou International Land Port in Jiangxi has operated 1,700 China-Europe freight trains, connecting more than 100 cities in over 20 countries.        (Xinhua)