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High-speed rail: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English

China's high-speed rail network, the Fuxing trains, the 12306 ticket app, the Beijing-Shanghai line and the Spring Festival travel rush.

Play: High-speed rail

The conversation

Speakers: Haoran and Xiaoyu.

  1. Haoran

    看(kàn)屏(píng)幕(mù)上(shàng)那(nà)个(ge)数(shù)字(zì)了(le)吗(ma)？时(shí)速(sù)350公(gōng)里(lǐ)。

    See that number on the screen? 350 kilometers an hour.

  2. Xiaoyu

    我(wǒ)茶(chá)杯(bēi)里(lǐ)的(de)水(shuǐ)居(jū)然(rán)连(lián)波(bō)纹(wén)都(dōu)没(méi)有(yǒu)，怎(zěn)么(me)回(huí)事(shì)？

    There isn't even a ripple in my teacup. How is that possible?

  3. Haoran

    这(zhè)是(shì)复(fù)兴(xīng)号(hào)，从(cóng)2017年(nián)6月(yuè)起(qǐ)就(jiù)在(zài)这(zhè)条(tiáo)线(xiàn)上(shàng)跑(pǎo)了(le)。

    This is a Fuxing bullet train. They've been running on this line since June 2017.

  4. Xiaoyu

    你(nǐ)接(jiē)下(xià)来(lái)是(shì)不(bú)是(shì)要(yào)报(bào)出(chū)它(tā)的(de)列(liè)车(chē)型(xíng)号(hào)了(le)？

    Are you about to recite its exact train model numbers now?

  5. Haoran

    北(běi)京(jīng)南(nán)发(fā)车(chē)的(de)是(shì)CR400AF，上(shàng)海(hǎi)虹(hóng)桥(qiáo)发(fā)车(chē)的(de)是(shì)CR400BF。

    The ones departing from Beijing South are CR400AF, and the ones from Shanghai Hongqiao are CR400BF.

  6. Xiaoyu

    那(nà)到(dào)2025年(nián)底(dǐ)，全(quán)国(guó)高(gāo)铁(tiě)网(wǎng)总(zǒng)里(lǐ)程(chéng)大(dà)概(gài)有(yǒu)多(duō)少(shao)？

    So by the end of 2025, about how long is the country's total high-speed rail network?

    1. 大(dà)约(yuē)50,400公(gōng)里(lǐ)高(gāo)铁(tiě)线(xiàn)路(lù) Around 50,400 kilometers of high-speed rail lines
    2. 大(dà)约(yuē)5,000公(gōng)里(lǐ) Around 5,000 kilometers
    3. 大(dà)约(yuē)500,000公(gōng)里(lǐ) Around 500,000 kilometers
    Answer

    大(dà)约(yuē)50,400公(gōng)里(lǐ)高(gāo)铁(tiě)线(xiàn)路(lù) Around 50,400 kilometers of high-speed rail lines

  7. Haoran

    大(dà)概(gài)50,400公(gōng)里(lǐ)。随(suí)着(zhe)西(xī)安(ān)到(dào)延(yán)安(ān)段(duàn)开(kāi)通(tōng)，正(zhèng)式(shì)突(tū)破(pò)了(le)五(wǔ)万(wàn)公(gōng)里(lǐ)。

    Around 50,400 kilometers. Once the Xi'an to Yan'an section opened, it officially topped 50,000 kilometers.

  8. Xiaoyu

    咱(zán)们(men)现(xiàn)在(zài)坐(zuò)的(de)这(zhè)条(tiáo)京(jīng)沪(hù)线(xiàn)呢(ne)？

    What about this Beijing-Shanghai line we're on right now?

  9. Haoran

    全(quán)长(zhǎng)1,318公(gōng)里(lǐ)，2011年(nián)开(kāi)通(tōng)的(de)，前(qián)15年(nián)累(lěi)计(jì)发(fā)送(sòng)旅(lǚ)客(kè)超(chāo)过(guò)23亿(yì)人(rén)次(cì)。

    It's 1,318 kilometers long, opened in 2011, and has carried over 2.3 billion passengers in its first 15 years.

  10. Xiaoyu

    我(wǒ)觉(jué)得(de)我(wǒ)一(yí)个(gè)人(rén)就(jiù)贡(gòng)献(xiàn)了(le)里(lǐ)面(miàn)的(de)一(yí)半(bàn)。

    Pretty sure I contributed at least half of that myself.

  11. Haoran

    你(nǐ)赶(gǎn)过(guò)春(chūn)运(yùn)回(huí)家(jiā)吗(ma)？

    Have you ever tried heading home during the Spring Festival rush?

  12. Xiaoyu

    过(guò)年(nián)那(nà)四(sì)十(shí)天(tiān)大(dà)迁(qiān)徙(xǐ)嘛(ma)。我(wǒ)就(jiù)经(jīng)历(lì)过(guò)一(yí)次(cì)，从(cóng)成(chéng)都(dū)一(yí)路(lù)站(zhàn)到(dào)个(gè)记(jì)不(bù)清(qīng)名(míng)字(zi)的(de)地(dì)方(fang)。

    You mean that forty-day mass migration for New Year. I only did it once, stood the whole way from Chengdu to some town I can't even remember.

  13. Haoran

    光(guāng)是(shì)2025年(nián)春(chūn)运(yùn)，铁(tiě)路(lù)就(jiù)发(fā)送(sòng)了(le)5.13亿(yì)人(rén)次(cì)。

    During the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush alone, the railways carried 513 million passengers.

  14. Xiaoyu

    我(wǒ)全(quán)记(jì)着(zhe)呢(ne)，因(yīn)为(wèi)全(quán)踩(cǎi)在(zài)我(wǒ)脚(jiǎo)上(shàng)了(le)。

    I remember every single one, 'cause they were all standing on my feet.

Hear it read aloud in the app

Words in the conversation

数(shù)字(zì)numeralHSK 2公(gōng)里(lǐ)kilometerHSK 2接(jiē)下(xià)来(lái)nextHSK 2全(quán)国(guó)the whole countryHSK 2咱(zán)们(men)weHSK 2旅(lǚ)客(kè)travelerHSK 2超(chāo)过(guò)to exceedHSK 2过(guò)年(nián)to celebrate the Lunar New YearHSK 2因(yīn)为(wèi)becauseHSK 2下(xià)来(lái)to come down toward hereHSK 3年(nián)底(dǐ)the end of the yearHSK 3大(dà)概(gài)roughlyHSK 3正(zhèng)式(shì)formalHSK 3发(fā)送(sòng)to sendHSK 3个(gè)人(rén)an individualHSK 3里(lǐ)面(miàn)on the insideHSK 3经(jīng)历(lì)experienceHSK 3铁(tiě)路(lù)railway lineHSK 3列(liè)车(chē)a trainHSK 4型(xíng)号(hào)a model numberHSK 4高(gāo)铁(tiě)high-speed railHSK 4居(jū)然(rán)unexpectedlyHSK 5随(suí)着(zhe)along withHSK 5突(tū)破(pò)to break throughHSK 5一(yī)路(lù)all the way (along the journey)HSK 5屏(píng)幕(mù)screenHSK 6开(kāi)通(tōng)to open (a line or service)HSK 6贡(gòng)献(xiàn)contributionHSK 6

Notes

Network size and growth

At the end of 2025 China had about 50,400 km of high-speed railway in operation, up from 37,900 km at the end of 2020. The network passed 50,000 km with the opening of the Xi'an to Yan'an line on 26 December 2025. The whole national railway network was about 165,000 km at the end of 2025. The operator's stated aim is about 60,000 km of high-speed line by 2030. Railways carried more than 4.5 billion passenger trips in 2025.

Fuxing trains

The Fuxing ("rejuvenation") trains entered service on 26 June 2017 on the Beijing-Shanghai line: a CR400AF from Beijing South and a CR400BF from Shanghai Hongqiao. Top speed is 400 km/h, and they run at a consistent 350 km/h, a pace first run on 21 September 2017. The earlier generation of bullet trains was called Hexie ("harmony"). The CR400AF is built by CRRC Qingdao Sifang, the CR400BF by CRRC Changchun.

Tickets: 12306

12306 is China Railway's ticket website and app, where tickets are bought by real name.

Stations

Tickets are tied to an identity document, shown to enter the station and again to board the train.

Beijing-Shanghai line

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway opened on 30 June 2011 and is 1,318 km long. In its first 15 years (to June 2026) it ran more than 2.22 million trains and carried more than 2.3 billion passenger trips. In 2018 the fastest scheduled trip was 4 hours 18 minutes. Xinhua called it China's busiest rail route in 2017.

The Spring Festival travel rush

The Spring Festival travel rush (chunyun) lasts 40 days around the Lunar New Year. In 2025 it ran from 14 January to 22 February, and railways carried about 513 million passenger trips, 6.1 percent more than the year before. The 2026 rush ran from 2 February to 13 March, with about 9.41 billion cross-regional trips across all transport. On 21 February 2026 rail carried about 17.19 million trips in one day.

Play

High-speed rail

China's high-speed rail network, the Fuxing trains, the 12306 ticket app, the Beijing-Shanghai line and the Spring Festival travel rush.

  1. About how long was China's operating high-speed rail network at the end of 2025?

    Answer

    50,000 km. China State Railway Group put it at about 50,400 km at the end of 2025.

  2. What is the name of the trains that entered service on the Beijing-Shanghai line in June 2017?

    Answer

    Fuxing. Fuxing means "rejuvenation"; the earlier generation was called Hexie, "harmony".

  3. What is the usual top operating speed of a Fuxing CR400 train?

    Answer

    350 km/h. The trains are designed for 400 km/h and run at a consistent 350 km/h.

  4. What do you show to enter a station and board a train?

    Answer

    The ID used to buy the ticket. Tickets are tied to an identity document, and the same document is checked at the station.

  5. When did the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway open?

    Answer

    2011. It opened on 30 June 2011 and is 1,318 km long.

  6. About how many rail passenger trips were made during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush of 2025?

    Answer

    513 million. China State Railway Group reported about 513 million rail trips, a record at the time.

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