China’s national railway network achieves another milestone as two historically significant revolutionary sites become directly connected through high-speed rail service. Beginning January 26, 2026, travelers can journey between Zunyi in Guizhou Province and Yan’an in Shaanxi Province with unprecedented efficiency.
The new connection, implemented under China Railway Chengdu Group’s first-quarter schedule for 2026, represents a strategic enhancement to the country’s transportation infrastructure. This development effectively bridges the previous service gap between southwestern regions including Sichuan, Guizhou, and Chongqing with the historically important northern city of Yan’an.
Travel time between these symbolic locations has been dramatically reduced. The southbound journey from Yan’an to Zunyi now requires merely 8 hours and 7 minutes, while the northbound route takes 8 hours and 49 minutes. This constitutes a remarkable improvement over the conventional rail service, which previously demanded more than 16 hours for the same journey.
The railway authority confirmed that starting January 27, two round-trip high-speed services will operate daily between these destinations. This connectivity milestone follows earlier railway developments: the Chongqing-Guiyang Railway inaugurated Zunyi’s high-speed era in January 2018, while the new 299-kilometer Xi’an-Yan’an line commenced operations in December 2025.
This expansion contributes to China’s position as operator of the world’s most extensive high-speed network, which recently surpassed 50,000 kilometers in total operational mileage. The connection reinforces the integration of historically significant regions into China’s modern transportation framework, facilitating both cultural exchange and economic development.