Type High-speed rail Stations 15 Opened December 30, 2010 Terminis Sanya, Haikou | Status Operational Services 1 Locale Hainan | |
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Rolling stock CRH1A-A (current)
CRH1A, CRH380A (former) | ||
The Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway is a high-speed railway on Hainan Island, China. Opened in December 2010, the railway links the capital Haikou at the northern end of the province to Sanya, a growing tourist city at the southernmost region of Hainan.
Contents
History
The idea for the railway was first proposed in February 1958 by then Vice-Premier and Director of the National Planning Commission, Li Fuchun, during an inspection tour of Hainan. The original proposal was for a railway that would go completely around the island. It would incorporate several railway sections that had recently been, or were about to be, reconstructed in the southwestern part of the island (see Hainan Western Ring Railway).
In February 1960, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Hainan and created a construction blueprint.
In May 1963, Li Fuchun returned to inspect Hainan. His intention was for a ten-year plan to complete the railway. This was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, and the plan suspended. In the summer of 1980, the State Council made the decision to speed up development and construction of Hainan Island. The Guangdong–Hainan Train Ferry (part of the Guangdong–Hainan Railway) was completed in December 2004, and the Hainan Western Ring Railway along the western coast of the island from Haikou to Sanya was completed in 2005.
Preparation for the construction project in the eastern half of the island officially started in March 2006, with the National Development and Reform Commission officially approving the feasibility report on March 22, 2007.
Construction began on September 29, 2007, and the railway went into service on December 30, 2010. With a projected cost of over 22.22 billion RMB (approximately US$3.3 billion) shared between China's Ministry of Railways and the Hainan provincial government, this was Hainan's largest single investment project to date and employed a workforce of 50,000. Items of expenditure included 17.7 billion RMB on fixed assets and 1.5 billion RMB on trains.
The expected maximum speed is 250 k.p.h. along the dual track line. The railway runs through the majority of Hainan's tourism areas which 90 percent of tourists usually visit. In 2010, the railway was awarded the Ministry of Railways locomotive trophy.
The official opening and start of operations of the Eastern Ring Railway took place on December 30, 2010. At the opening ceremony, Luo Baoming, governor of Hainan, stated that the railway will promote urbanization and greatly improve the island's transportation capacity.
Trains
Each train comprises eight cars, including five power cars, and 3 trailers. They are CRH1A type Harmony ("Hexie Hao" simplified Chinese: 和谐号; traditional Chinese: 和諧號; pinyin: Héxié Hào) EMU trains. The total length is 213.5 metres having a total weight of 420.4 tons.
Passenger cars comprise two first-class and five second-class cars, and one dining car. The first-class cars are model Dingyuan 64, and the second-class cars are Dingyuan 92.
The dining car provides fast food and drinks.
The washrooms are designed to accommodate the disabled.
Since November 18, 2016, the new CRH1A-A EMUs are entered to service, which replaced CRH1A.
Operation
The railway runs from the Haikou Railway Station (海口站) to Sanya Railway Station. But many trains terminate in Haikou East Railway Station. Trains are designed to travel at approximately 250 km/h and will stop at a selective of the 15 stations on the line. Travel time is 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Trial run started on 30 December 2010. The line was put into revenue service on January 7, 2011.
The total length of the route is 308.11 km, and will contain 10 pairs of trains traveling per day.
The fare for a full journey between Haikou and Sanya is 173 RMB for a first-class seat, and 108 RMB for a second-class seat. Tickets can be purchased up to ten days in advance and are available at the station counters or from vending machines.
Since March 8, 2011, CRH380A started to serve this line. But due to the track limitation, the maximum speed won't exceed 250 km/h. These trains are transferred to Beijing Railway Bureau and no longer in service.
Schedule
Initially, there were 10 pairs of trains operating on Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway. From January 20, 2017, there are 38 pairs of trains operating on Hainan Eastern Ring High-Speed Railway, which 29 are Haikou/Haikou East–Sanya, 5 are Sanya-Sanya, and 4 are Haikou East–Haikou East.
Stations
A total of 20 stations are already built or will be phased in gradually:
Note: ♦ denotes Under construction or plannedPlanned Hainan Western High-Speed Ring Railway
On December 30, 2010, an announcement was made that another high-speed railway will be built on the west coast of Hainan. The 345 km Hainan Western Ring High-Speed Railway, largely paralleling the existing Hainan Western Ring Railway, it links up with the Hainan Eastern Ring Railway at both ends. The new western ring is projected to cost 26.78 billion yuan, and is completed in 2015.