Baoji–Chengdu railway

The Baoji–Chengdu railway or Baocheng railway (simplified Chinese: 宝成铁路; traditional Chinese: 寶成鐵路; pinyin: bǎochéng tiělù), is a mixed single- and double-track, electrified, railroad in China between Baoji in Shaanxi province and Chengdu in Sichuan province. The Baocheng Line is the main railway connection between the northern/northwestern and southwestern China. The line has a total length of 668.2 km and passes through mostly mountainous terrain in southern Shaanxi, eastern Gansu and northern Sichuan.^[1] It opened in 1961 as the first rail outlet from Sichuan, and in 1975 became the first railway in China to be electrified.^[1] Other cities along route include Mianyang, Guangyuan, Guanghan and Lueyang.

Legend

					to Longhai railway
				0 km	Baoji
					to Longhai railway
					Wei River
					Baoji South
					Spiral
				45 km	Qinling
				67 km	Honghuapu
				91 km	Fengzhou
				103 km	Feng County*
					entering Gansu Province
				120 km	Hongqing
				125 km	Lijiahe
				135 km	Liangdang
				151 km	Hui County
					re-entering Shaanxi Province
				174 km	Baishuijiang
				182 km	Hongweiba
				190 km	Matiwang
				199 km	Xujiaping
				208 km	Hengxianhe
				215 km	Lueyang County
				237 km	Lesuhe
				247 km	Gaotanzi
				259 km	Juting
					to Yangpingguan–Ankang railway
				271 km	Yangpingguan
				283 km	Yanziban
					entering Sichuan Province
				302 km	Datan
				323 km	Chaotian District
				341 km	Ranjiahe
				350 km	Guangyuan
					to Guangyuan–Wangcang railway

					Guangyuan South
					Zoumaling
					Zhaohua
					Shaxiba
				415 km	Zhuyuan
					Banzhuyuan
					Majiaoba
					Erlang Temple
					Houba
					Xiaoxiba
					Shuanghekou
				512 km	Jiangyou
					Sanhechang
					Shimaba
				554 km	Mianyang
					Zaojiaopu
					Tanjiaba
				584 km	Luojiang
					Huangxu
				608 km	Deyang
					Shifang
				631 km	Guanghan
					to Chengdu–Wenchuan railway
					to Dazhou–Chengdu railway
					Xindu District
					to Chengdu–Pujiang railway
				669 km	Chengdu
					to Chengdu–Kunming railway

Line description

Baocheng railway near the Jialing River

The Baocheng Line runs from the plains of the Sichuan Basin to the Wei River Valley. It traverses the Qin Mountains, the east–west range that divides northern from southern China. The line has 304 tunnels and 1,001 bridges, which collectively account for 17% of the total track length.^[1]

In Baoji, the line meets the Longhai railway, on which trains can travel east to Xi'an and the Central Plains or west to Lanzhou and the northwest. At Yangpingguan, the line intersects with the Yangpingguan–Ankang railway which branches eastward along the Han River Valley. In Chengdu, the line connects with the Chengyu Line to Chongqing, Chengqian Line to Guizhou, and Chengkun Line to Kunming.

History

The opening of the first electrified railway in China on August 15, 1961 (Baocheng railway, Baoji–Fengzhou section)

The Baocheng line was originally proposed in Sun Yat-sen's 1913 China National railway plan as part of the Datong–Chengdu railway. Construction began in Chengdu on July 1, 1952 and from Baoji in January 1954.^[1] The line opened on January 1, 1958.^[2] The Baoji–Fengzhou section electrified in 1961, becoming the first railway to be electrified in the country.^[2] The entire line was electrified in 1971.^[2] Construction of a second track between Chengdu and Yangpingguan began in 1993 and was completed in 1999. From Yangpingguan to Baoji, the line remains single-track. The railway was badly damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.^[2]

The Baoji–Chengdu railway, together with the Xi'an–Baoji section of the Longhai railway, formed the main railway route between Xi'an and Chengdu (and, in general, between North China and Sichuan). However, the new Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway, between these two cities has assumed much of the passenger traffic on this route.