China Travel Advice

Up till most recently, no train link existed between Fuzhou and Wenzhou. This will change soon. The construction of a railroad between the two economically dynamic cities on China’s southeastern coast, first started in 2005, has been completed now, and, on June 30, 2009, high-speed trains started their test runs on the new rail line.

The new railway runs along the Pacific coast, starting in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, ending in Wenzhou, which is a busy manufacturing and trade center. Measuring 298 km in length, the new railway will significantly improve the transportation in the region. With the new train services, it takes only 2 hours for a passenger to make his way from Fuzhou and Wenzhou. Preparation is already under way to extend the new railroad both northward and southward, reaching Shanghai in the north and Xiamen in the south respectively. With the completion of the extensions, train travel time among these cities will become much easer. Travel time between Fuzhou and Shanghai, for instance, will be shortened by as much as 9 hours.

The Fuzhou-Wenzhou railway is designed to provide high-speed services, with trains traveling at 200-250 per hour. The current test runs are for cargo trains only, but passenger services are expected to begin in October 2009.