RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION IN COMMUNIST CHINA SINCE THE COLLAPSE OF THE 'LEAP FORWARD'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000500190069-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 27
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 15, 2004
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: June 1, 1965
• Content Type: IR

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Approved For Release 2004/07/07 : CIA-RDP78TO5439A000500190069-5
 Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I. Introduction . . ? ? ? ? ? -
II. General Tren s . . . . . . . .
1. Effeots 9f the Retrenchment in Capital
Construction t . . . . . .
2. Estimate of Railroad Construction . . . . . . .
Railroad Construction, by Area . . . . . . .
1. Southwest China . . . . . . . . . . . .
a. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b. Ch'eng-tu - K'un-ming Line . . . . . . . .
c. Kuei-yang - K'un-ming Line
d. Chungking - Kuei-y ng Line . . . . . .
e. Net-chiang,- K'un ing Line . . . . . . . .
f.. Hsiang-tan - Tu-yun Line .
2. Northwest China
a. Lan-chou - Sinkiang Line . . . . . . . .'
b. Lan-chow. -- .Tsinghai Line.
3. North; China . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .
4+. Southeast China . . . . . . . . . ..... ... . . .
i
5. Manchuria . . . . . i. . . . .
IV. Double Tracking . . . . .
1.
3.
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Appendixes
Appendix A. Status of Estimated Construction,df Main
and Branch Railroad Lines 4.3n Communist China,
as of 31 December 1964
Background
Areas of Construction
Rate of Completion
5
 Appendix B. Status of Estimated Construction of Double
Tracked Railroad Lines in Communist China,
as of 31 December 1961+
Estimated Length of New Railroad Line Placed in Operation'
in Communist China, 1953-64 . ? ? . . ? . 4'
Illustrations
(Inside Ba.ck Cover)
Figure 1. Communist China; Railroads and Selected Roads,
May 1965 (Map)
Figure 2. Communist China: Partly Completed Railroad Bridge
Near San-shui, November.19611. (Photograph),
Figure 3. Communist China: Extent of Construction on the
Lan-chou - Tsinghai Railroad, September 1963.
(Photograph)
Figure 1i. Communist.China: The Nanking Railroad and Highway
iv -
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RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION IN COMMUNIST CHINA
SINCE THE COLLAPSE OF THE "LEAP FORWARD"*
Except for a partial resumption of the effort-to connect southwest
China directly with the main rail system in the country, construction
.of new main line railroad's in Communist China remains in a state of. -
general stagnation. Although the renewed construction in'the southwest
wi-l1 eventually augment the - Chinese. capability to support military
s;ctivities in*southeast Asia, it is doubtful whether any of the new
lines can be opened to traffic within the next few years,
the country.- Economic difficulties forced the -Chinese to abandon
-Following inplementation-of the retrenchment policy in early 1961,
railroad construction was -either-halted or slowed in every region in
thousands -of kilomet
double tracking of t
of proposed new line
cent below-previous
about 1,100 kilomete
(1953-57) and the "lbap for'w%rd" (1958-60) to about-250 km per year
during-1961-61+. The Chinese.have continued to work on short spur lines
to military, industrUal, and mining facilities during the retrenchment
period, but the ambitious-program of the late 1950's-to increase the
length of the national network. by about 40 percent has suffered a'set-
back that will take years to overcome.
Although construction has not been resumed on the majority. of aban
Boned railroad projects, reliable evidence indicates that in 1963 and
1964 the Chinese did resume work on some. lines. Strategically, the?most
important area of'c~rrent activity is in southwest China, which borders
on North Vietnam, Laos, and Burma and which lacks a direct railroad
connection with the national network. During the past'2 years the ?
Chinese resumed work in the southwest on two or three lines,-all-of
which were started originally in 1956-58 but were suspended -in 1961-62
before completion., Because of the rugged terrain and the amount of
construct,o -remaining to be.done, it is unlikely tha--any of the lines
can reach tannan-Province within the next- few years 11t is apparent,.
however, that the southwest has been designated a'priority region, for
it is the only-area in-the ccsuntry where a large-scale program is: under-
way to. construct new main lines:
* The estimates and conclusions in this report represent the best -judg-
ment of this Office as of 1?.May 1965. Unless otherwise indicated, - -tail-.
rs ? of partly completed lines., to slow or ,.halt
Since 1961, therefore, the.annual volume of
and branch lines has dropped approximately 80 per-
ears, from an average annual completion rate of
s (km) per year dtring the First Five Year Plai
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In addition-to the resumption of work in the southwest; the Chinese
have renewed.construction'of a few railroad projects in other parts of,
the country.- In Kiangsi Province in southeast China; for example, work
.is actively in progress on a 120-km branch line.runnina from the vininit.34
-X-
in late that
mi ary, engineers were
constructing a line in Vince to sup-
port uranium mining. the existence
of the line, although construction-has not yet progressed far enough
to determine where the branch will ultimately terminate.
Another project that has been reactivated in recent-years is the
spectacular' bridge that ~will.span the Yangtze. River at Nanking. This
double-deck railroad anhighway structure is considerably longer than
the famous Wu-han?bridge built in the 1950?'s with Soviet assistance.
When completed, the Nanking bridge will replace. a rail ferry, the last
major bottleneck on the heavily used trunk. line"between Peiping and
Shanghai.
9thernareas of active railroad construction in Communist China in
clude"a possible urban bypass around.Tientsin, a'little double tracking
in Shantung Province,'and reconstruction.of the single-track line be-
tween Shanghai and Nanking. .Work is also continuing on.-lines to sup-.
port the forestry industry, which is one 'pf the highly publicized"weak
links" in the economy. This effort is largely centered in the mountain
ranges in northeast China that border the Soviet Union and North Korea.
i
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lace names, see Appendixes
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 During the 3 years of the "leap forward" (1958-60) the Chinese,Com-
munists launched massive programto expand the railroad network on
the mainland, whic at the end of 1957 had only 29,900 km of track.
Construction was begun on approximately 11,400 km of-new main and branch--
lines, and 5,900 km of-double track was under construction for existing
lines. If the program had been completed, the 11,400 km would have
expanded the rail network in Communist China by about 40 percent. The
total cost of the new lines and the double track would. have been about-
10 'billion yuan ( iS $4 billion).*
Since the col apse?of.the?"leap forward in 1960 the Chinese have
been' conspi6uous silent'on the progress of railroad constructionLin
China, strongly plying that the ambitious ro - em started during the
late-1950's has been-abandoned.
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In this report, emphasis is given to a discussion of ,(1) the impor-
tant lines in western China and (2) the priority areas in ;the country-
where construction-is actively underway. Detailed information is -pre-
sented in Appendixes A and B on less important lines and on the`.numerous~
lines where.,constr_?uction has been. suspended. For ease of'expositiah,
Communist China has been arbitrarily divided into five re`g;ions : north-
west, southwest, north, southeast, and Manchuria (northeast). The east
.is divided from the west by the 108th meridian and the north from the
south by, the 30th parallel, and Manchuria includes all of the territory
northeast of Peiping (see?Figure 1,-inside back cover).
Effects o the Retrenchment in Capital Cons.tru,ction
ti The nationwide retrenchment in capital construction that was -
forced on the.Chinese Communists in 1961 by economic difficulties led
to a .sha.rp- cutback in new railroad construction, 2-5X'
25X1 At the time of t hp retrench- -
the,roadbed had reached an advanced stage and where the approaches,
abutments, and piers for numerous bridges had been completed;.but on
m y.projects the ties and track had not been __ d and bridges were
n
. out superstructures . 25XI
25X1 At present,. therefore, the landscape of China is extens:Ive-Ly
2.46 yuan to US .$
Yuan were converted to dollars
at the estimated rate of exchange of
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 scarred by abandoned road eds that have been eroded by the elements,
that have been overgrown y weeds, or that-have been reclaimed and
cultivated by the peasant
As. illustrated in
meters of-new track placed
the beginning of 1961 drop
years, from an average of
Year Plan and the "leap fo:
ing the retrenchment perio
started during the "leap f,
operation'by the end of 191
he table below, the annual increment in kilo-
in operation. during the 4-year period since.
ed approxi4jately 80 percent below previous,.
bout 1,100 km per year during the First Five
ward" to .approximately 250 km per year dur
Moreover , of the 115400 km of new track
rward," only 2,200 km had-been placed in
4, axed most of this was finished before the
a. Including main lines. and branch`-lines but excluding spur
lines to industrial facilities, double tracking, and narrow-
gauge forestry'alines. The estimate.4*length of standard-gauge
track opened to passenger. travel at, the end of 1964 was
34,300 kilometers-,,:?; D to have been rounded to three. s gnifi-
cant digits.
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III. Railroad Construcjtion, by Area
Since the collapse of the ill-fated "leap forward" in 1960, the
Chinese Communists ha e been very selective infal1ocating resources
for capital construct on. ::Evidence-indicates that only-construction
projects with a high conomic or military priority were permitted to
continue during the 4--year period 1961-64. This pattern has been.'"
followed in-construction of new railroad lines; as well as in other
sectors of the economy. Only those ''lines that'.-are _xequired to fill an
P3-
important need-have been constructed .in recent years, while work on
numerous marginal lin s has been suspended.
During the first- 2 years.of the retrenchment, the decrease in new
railroad construction was so severe that no clear. pattern developed
that would help pinpo nt..areas of overriding priority. Either con-
struction was halted or the speed of work was greatly reduced"on.all
lines in the country, with the.possible exception: of narrow-gauge
forestry lines and short spurs to mining, industrial, and military
facilities. Since 1963, however; construction his resumed on a few.
lines,' thus providing some indication of areas in the-country that are
favored_by-either an economic or`a military priority.
1. Southwest China
a. Background
Since coming to`power, the most ambitious effort exerted
a~by4'the Chinese Communists in the field of new railroad construction
)has been their attempt to build lines running into southwest China,'
which borders on North Vietnam, Laos, and-Burma. The extremely rugged.:
terrain in the un4erde3ieloped southwest poses di-ficult engineering
problems, which resultlin high-cost construction. For example, the'-
average cost'of building railroads in flat terrain in China is be-
tween 400,0007and 500,000 Yuan per kilometer,-whereas the average cost
in the'southwest is over 1 million yuan-per kilometer. Nevertheless,
new lines are needed to.help_open the area to economic development and
to eliminate-the:neces`sity of shipping goods -to Yunnan Province via
the-meter-gauge system' in North Vietnam.' In the late 1950's,' therefore,
the Chinese-started construction of five main lines running into the
southwest with a combined length of roughly 3,700 to 3,800 km. These .
main lines are the ones from Ch'eng-tu to K'un-ming, from Nei-chiang
to K'un-ming, from Chungking to!Kuei-yang, from Kuei-yang'-to K'un-ming
and from Hsiang-t'an to Tu-yun.
The data in the 'table, above, include railroads started before 1958
as well as;thos?e started, during the "leap forward" and the retrenchment
period.
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 S-E-C-R-F -T
Although active .construction of the-railroad network in
the-southwest started almost a decade ago, 'none of the five lines-has
yet been completed. From 900 to 1,000 kin of track had been laid by
the time of the retrenchment in early 1961, and work probably was sus-
pended during the following 2 years. In 1963-64, however, the Chinese
apparently resumed work on?three of the-five lines. Fragmentary re-
porting prevents estimation ofa completion date for the lines, but it
is apparent that railroad construction in the southwest presently enjoys
a high priority. It is the only area.-in the country where the Chinese
are actively-engaged 'in a major prograrr.to construct new main lines.
b. .Ch'eng-tu'- K'un-ming Line
to standard gauge when the.new main lines in the southwest are liriked
to the national rail system. Between 1961 and 1963 there was little
progress on the Ch'eng-tu - K'un-ming line, and work probably was.com-
pletely halted dur-ing'this period. By 1964, however, construction had
been resumed. 'I
The longest railroad under construction in the southwest
is the 1,070-km line'running from the new industrial city of Ch'eng-tu
in the Szechwan Basin to K'un-ming, the capital of mineral-rich-Yunnan.
Provincq. Since the `start of construction in 1958, the progress on
this-north-south artery has been slow. By -1961, only 175 km of track
had been laid -- a 125-km section of'meter-gauge track between K'un-
min4 and the coal-producing ceiter at I-p'ing-lang and'a 50-km section
of standard-gauge track between Ch'eng-tu and the small town of
P'eng-shan. The K'un-ming - I-p'ing-lang section is a restored branch
of.a previously existing meter=gauge--line running from Kwangsi Province.
to K'un-ming via-North:Vietnam._ The Chinese plan to convert this branch
The Ch'eng-t - K'un-ming line probably cannot be completed-
in less than 4 or 5 years, even with a maximum construction effort_on
the part of the Chines. Many tunnels still have to be constructed.
along the projected rout ,!and, because only a limited number of-people
can work a tunnel face at one time, digging tunnels is the-most time-
consuming activity in railroad construction-.
,c. Kuei-yang K'un-ming Line
A-second railroad presently under construction in the south-
west is an east=west line to run between Kuei-yang in Kweichow Province
and K'un ming in Yunnan Province. It is projected to extend roughly
420 km west from Kuei-yang, joining the planned Nei-chiang -'K'un-mang
line in the vicinity. of either Hsuan-wei or Wei-ning, (For a discussion
of--the Nei-chiang - K'un-ming line, see'e, below.)..
During the 7-year period since construction started in 1958,
only a 100-km section of the Kuei-yang K'un-mir1g-?1ine has been opened
to traff`i'c,---. the section running from Kuei-yang to the town of An-shun.
Work was--probably halted on the line, "following implementation of the
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-retrenchment policy in 1961, but in 1963 or 1964 the Chinese resumed
construction. The uncompleted part of the line, however,'traverses
rugged terrain, and the line pro`b'ably could not be placed in operation
during the'next few years.
d.' Chungking Kuei-yang Line
A third line in the southwest that may be under construction
is a north-south line, roughly 480 km long, between Chungking in Szechwan
Province and Kuei-yang in Kweichow Province. Construction started in*
1956 and continued until 1961, when approximately 190 km of track had -
been completed --a 150-km section-between Chungking and a point about
10 km north of S g-k'an and a 40-km section between Kuei-yang and
Cha-tso. .
Although three-fourths of the earthwork was completed be-
fore the retrenchment, construction of the
Chungking - Kuei-yang line-was halted in 19 1
work had.'-probably resumed by 1963,
The present stage of construc-
tion, however, is'difficult to estimate
This. .north-south line may be
placed in operation befor-AE~?_any of e -oer railroads in the southwest,
but the Chinese must.'stlll complete the east-west line between Kuei-
yang and K'un-mink before traffic can move-directly from Szechwan.
Province to Yunnan Province. _
e. Nei-chiang - K'iin-ming? Line
One of. the earliest rail projects undertaken by the Chinese
in the southwest ~ras an 830-km 3,ine to run from Nei-chiang in Szechwan
Province to K' un- irig in Yunnan l~rov `rice . From the K'un-ming terminus
the line was projected to parallel anexistingmeter-gauge line as far:
as Chan-i before 1tarning north'through some of the most formidable
terrain in the aria. The Chinese have-cla ed that the terrain is'so
rugged that two-fifths?of the entirelength.of the Nei-chiang
K'un-m3'ng line wi 1 be bridges,-tunnels, and culverts -- the most dif-
ficult and expensive aspects of railroad'construction.
Since .the start of construction in 1956, 'only 3ZO km of
track have been laid on this north-south line, a_130-km section between
Nei-chiang and Aril-pien- and a 180-km section. between K'un-ming and
Chan-i. The roadbed for-the K'un-ming - Chan-i section was constructed
to standard-gauge specifications, but the track may have been tem-
porarily laid to meter-gauge width so that -rolling stock in Yunnan
Province could be used to support the-'railroad construction program.
In about 1961, construction was apparently halted on the
uncompleted. portion of'the Nei-chiang - K'?un=ming line, and there is no
indication that work has been resumed. The extremely rugged terrain
7
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 S-E-C-R-E-T
along the-proposed route bf the line may have prompted the Chinese to
postpone construction indgfinitely in order to channel all available
resources to other lines in the area that cross relatively less dif-
ficult terrain.
To complete t]
with the main rail system
an east-west line between
in Kweichow Province. Th;
mately870 km and to prow:
southwest China than the
e ambitious program to link the southwest'
in.1958 the Chinese started construction of
Hsiang-Van in-Hunan Province and Tu-yun .
s line was projected to extend for approxi-
de a more direct link between southeast and,
resent route through Liu-chou.
Construction Pf the Hsiang-t'an - Tu-yun line was apparently
halted about 1961 and pro~ably is still a casualty of the retrenchment
policy. Only a 170-km.se tilon running-west from Hsiang-t'an was com-.
pleted before 1961, and there is no evidence that work is actively in
progress on. the remaining sections of the?line. Moreover, if the
Chinese ever resumed construction,.placing the-line into operation
would take a number of years.
a. Lan-chou - Sinkiang -Line
In late 1952 the Chinese started construction of a new line
that was planned to extend from the industrial center at Lan-chou in
Kansu Province to Urumchi in Sinkiang Province and westward to the
Sino-Soviet border, a-total distance of approximately 2,350 km. When
completed, this line was intended to open the distant northwest to
economic development and to provide an additional. railroad: link with
the-USSR. (China .present has two direct railroad cohnections-with
the USSR in Manchuria and two indirect connections, one.via_Mongolia*
and one via Nor+,h Korea.)
Although construction of the,Lan-chou -.Sinkiang line
started more than 12 years-ago, the line presently terminates-at Urumchi,
some 450 km short of the Sino-Soviet border. By'the time the retrench-
ment in capital construction was implemented in January 1961, the
Chinese had completed about 1,750 km of-track and were still 150.km
from Urumch i . -*-
The USSR, on the other hand, completed a 300-km extension
of its Turkestan-Siberian Railroad broad-gauge.line? between Aktogay and."
t1xe border as early as 1959. After completing its line to the border,
The 5O-km branch line to the Shuang-ch'eng-tzu-missile test site
was probably, started in1956 or 1957, after the main line reached-the
point of divergence near the small town of Ch'ing-shui-pao.
8 -
 territory.
the Soviet Union apparently wanted to extend its broad-gauge system to
Urumchi,.450 km inside Chinese territory, where the Soviet Union hoped
to establish a transloading point 'with the -'Chinese system. In 1954 a.
change-of-gauge transloading area was established 300-km inside China
at Chi-ning for traffic transiting Mongolia, but in Sinkiang, where
friction has historically existed between the two countries, the Chinese
refused to allow a second intrusion of the Soviet rail system on their
During the retrenchment period, the speed.of construction
on the unfinished part of the Lan-chou. - Sinkiang line was sharply re;
duced. The line ultimately -reached Urumchi in late 1962, but during
the final 2 years of construction the rate of.completion,averaged only
75 km per year.-- a rate that was-about 65 percent below the average
of 220 km per, year during the 8-year period from late 1952 through
January 1961. After 1961,- moreover, construction was ;-'suspended on the
.450-km section between Urumchi and the Soviet border, even though
considerable work had been completed on the roadbed. The Chinese may
eventually extend the line farther west to =the center, for producing
-and refining oil et Tu-shan-tzu, but at present they probably do not
intend to extend the line beyond that point to the border.
b.. Lan-chou - Tsinghai Line
Construction.of the 1,200-km Lan-chou - Tsinghai line was
started in 1958 to provide a railroad link between China proper and
the remote u6ij.-tinational province of Tsinghai. This line was projected
to run from the city of Lan-chou in Kansu Province-intothe Tsaidam
Basin- in Tsinghai Provin'ce, where a-second line was panned for'on-
struction running to Lhasa in Tibet.
Construction of the Lan-chou_- Tsinghai line continued _
for '2-1/2 years, from mid-1958 until early in 1961, when work was1-
abruptly halted. During the period of construction,_track was laid.
to the vicinity' of a large unidentified-industrial complex that is
under construction near Hal-yen, 'a small town 317'km west of Lan-chow
near the eastern end of Lake Koko Nor. .
During the 4-year interval since. the beginning of 1961, the
only construction on the Lan-chou - Tsinghai line has been the exten-
- sion of a spur leading from the vicinity of -the industrial complex
25X1 toward the shore of Lake Koko Nor
,
jected to skirt the north shore of -the lake .-and terminate in the
Tsaidam Basin. - .
3.? North China
Construction on most of the railroad projects in north China
was:completely'halted following the collapse of the "leap forward,"
has not yet resumed.-on-the marine tna-E was pro-.
Work
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 with the exception of short spu6rs to mining and industi-ial.facilities
and a possible bypass around Tientsin. The only major railroad project.
presently under constructionih north China. is the spectacular bri e
25X1 spanning the'Yan ze river in Nanking
This bridge is a double-deck railroad and highway
structure that will have a. water span alone.of approximately, 1-,500
meters -- considerably longer than_the.famous Wu-han bridge pear Hankow.
- Construction of the ;Nanking. bridge originally started about..
1959, but reports indicate that work was temporarily halted-in 1961 or
1962.- ,Since resumption of work, probably in 1963, construction has-
progressed slowly. The Chinese may have encountered either engineering
difficulties in placing the piers or problems in fabricating large
steel members for the superstructure. The Nanking bridge; however,'.-
is one of the few large-scale railrbad projects currently under con-
struction in jthe country; which) suggests that the. Chinese place- high
-priority on eliminating the Nanking -'P'u-k'ou railroad ferry -=the
last major bottleneck on-the heavily used trunk line between Peiping
and Shanghai.
4. Southeast China
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Following the pattern-in'.the rest-of the country, railroad con-
25X1 struction in southeast China was generally halted after 1961. Work has
not yet resumed on most of the suspended lines,- but 25X1
the Chinese are in the process of constructing one
new branch in Kiangsi Province. This 'new line originates;-#ear
the town of Hsiang-t'ang and is operational for roughly 60 km,`from a
-point located at 28 22 N 115 56 E to the vicinity of 28.00 N. 116 17 E.
From the latter point, construction continues west-southwest for an
additional 60 km to approximately 27 4.4 N 115 E, near the town of
Lo-an. 25X1
25X1 e military is rushing tne con-
struction. of a line leading to Lo-an, where Im-portant uranium mines
are located
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- An additional area of active railroad construction in southeast
-China is in Fukien Province. In 1958 the Chinese announced that'work
. had started on a 150-km branch line running from Chang-p'ing to the
coastal city of Ch'uan-chou, directly across from Formosa. This line
was not completed, and evidence indicates that construction never ro-
gressed much beyond a preliminary. stage. During 196)+, howeverl
25X1 ork was in progress on a spur.line near Mel-s ul-
eng,.a sma-LI own 20 km south of Chang-p'ing. The spur runs to 'a
mining area on the proposed route to Ch'uan-chow, but it is too early
to tell whether-or not?it will be?extended to the coast as a'branch
line.
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Manchuria
In recent years the Chinese have released a number of state-
ments alluding to their railroad construction effort in Manchuria.
New lines-are needed in Manchuria mainly to help strengthen.one of,
the highly publicized "weak links" in the economy -- the forestry
industry. The Chinese have long suffered from acute shortages.of
timber, and during the last few years they have been attempting to
improve transportation facilities in forest regions to speed the ship-
ment of logs and to exploit previously inaccessible areas.
Although most of the newly construct-ed lines in Manchuria are
narrow gauge, the Chinese also have constructed some standard-gauge
lines. The most notable areas of standard-gauge construction have.
been-in the Greater and Lesser Khingan mountain ranges bordering'the
Soviet Union and in the Chang-pal mountains bordering North Korea.
Since 1961,'for example, the Chinese-have worked on a'few hundred
kilometers of standard=''gage line in the Kan-ho area in the Inner.
Mongolian Autonomous Region, in the Nen-chiang and Pei-an areas in
Heilungkiang Province, and in the Fu-sung area in Kirin Province.
These lines all provide' access to forest --regions, - and they also serve
to improve Chinese logistic capabilities along the Manchurian frontier.
IV. Double Tracking
1. Background
Before the "leap forward!'-the Chinese Communists placed only
moderate emphasis on double trying the important trunk lines.
Instead, their' main effort' was directed toward extending the rail net-
work into the interior' of China.for'the=purpose of opening new areas
to development. The`demannds placed on 'the rail.system - during the -"leap
forward," however, forced the Chinese to increase greatly-their effort
to double track the more important trunk-lines to prevent a breakdown
in transportation. During the late 1950's, therefore,--the Chinese
launched a massive program to double track about 5,900 km of line..
If this program had been completed, it would have trebled the length
of double track in the country.
2. Areas of Construction
The main thrust of the double tracking program was. concentrated
in north China and in Manchuria, where the major industrial-centers are
located. DurrLng the late 1950's, the Chinese started to double track
three important lines in north China radiating from Peiping -- the
east-west linerunning-to'the new industrial center at Pao-t'ou and.
the two north-south trunk lines running to the major sea ports, of .
Canton and Shanghai.. In addition, double tracking was started on the
two east-west lines running between Shih-chia-chuang and T'ai-yuan and
between Cheng-chou and Pao-chi. In Manchuria, double-tracking centered
- 11 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
 S-E-C-R-E-T
around Harbin, with work starting on the two lines-running from Harbin
to Chia-mu-ssu and to Mu-tan-chiang. The Chinese also started con-
struction of a second track from Mukden to the industrial centers of
Fu-shun-and Pen-ch'i. Although double tracking was-also started in"
the southern part of the country on the line running between Liu-chou
in Kwangsi Province and Heng-yang in Hunan Province, the effort was
abortive. 1-1 <
3. Rate of Completion
By the end of 1964 the Chinese had completed about 3,500 km Of
the 5,900 km of double track that was under construction during the
"leap forward." This completion rate of almost 60 percent is con-
siderably higher than the rate of about 20 percent, for new single=track
lines started during the same period, probably because it is easier to
widen an existing right-of-way fora second track than it is to con-
struct new "right-of-why. I uplementation of the retrenchment policy-,
however, ended Chinese; efforts to completea greater proportion`of
In 1964 the only apparent areas of-acti-,,Ee double tracking were
on a short section of the Peiping-Shanghai' line in Shantung Province
and possibly on the line between Peiping and Pao-t'ou. The Chinese
recently announced that they axe rebuilding the. line between Shanghai
and Nanking, but it is unknown whether provision is being made for a
second track'. Double tracking in other areas ok,.-the country apparently
has been halted, even though a great deal of work had been completed
on the roadbeds and on the bridges.*
their double tracking_?program.
For the status of double tracking projects in China, see Appendix B.
 APPENDIX A
STATUS OF ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION OF MAIN AND BRANCH RAILROAD LINES IN COMMUNIST CHINA
AS OF 31 DECEMBER 1964
Lan-Chou (36 03 N 103 41 E) to the
Soviet Corder (Lan-Chou to Sinkiang)
Lan-c!.o'r to the 'fsaidnm Basin (Lan-
'11011 to Tsin'rhni)
Kon-t'anr (37 03 N 1C4 34 E) to
Wu-wet (37 58 N I C2 4P E)
Ch'eng-tu (30 40 N 104 04 E)
to Mono-won_(Wen-ch'uan) _
.(31 287 103 35 E)
1 ,
Shih-chu-shan (39 10 N 106 45 E) Kansu - Inner 1960
to Chi-lnn-t el (39 44 N 105 45.F,) Mongolian
Autonomous Region
1 -
tzl . Chiu-ch'unn (3) 46 N )8 34'E) to the Kansu
Chint?,?t'Yeh Mountains
Pal-yin (36 30 N 104 05 E) Kansu ~ Middle or late
to Chin;;-yunn (36 35 11 l04 40 E) i
fist-ning (36 37 N 101 46 E) Tsinghai 1958 or 1959
to Td-t'ung (37 05 N 101 35 E)
Total northwest China
ti ?
(43 4P N P7 3' E).
Work was halt,,'! In early I e 1 near Lake Koko Our.
1H', I!' I'his tranoh line, a typass around Lar;-rhou, wnc
npparently completed sosetimc in 1 " 1,
'This line leaves the Ch.'eng-tu - Pao-chi line
roughly 30 km north dt.Ch'eng-tu and is opera-
tional to the town of Kuan-halen
(31 ' f1 ll,d 37 E). Some '?onstructlon was
r+ttemptcd beyond this point but sui'seque;itl,y
was
s rsperided.
1411 Construeticr, wan suspend,j along the lerr;'th
of the line after much ,work was completed.
U This line war pro,icctcd to exploit deposits of
iron are in the mountains. Work never pro-
f,reaned much beyond t.te initial ntn-e of r?on-
st.rw-t for,.
1', The line is opr'rnt.lonil to the Pot-yin r'nppt'r
complex. Beyond the copper complex, a cor+-
si,derable amount of work, has been completed on.
the roadbed, including construction of piers
and abutments for a bridre over the Yellow River.
Active construction ?t.owever, has apparently been
suspended.
projected to run to the site of n larrle hydro-
eleitric project.,
40 This branch line to a coal field was completed
in 1960.
a. The railroad lines are listed in order of descending length between terminals. Data have been rounded to three significant digits.
Start Approximate Length Length Completed
o1' Construction Between Terminals by the End of 1,p4
'
Pro0lrice '(Year) (Kilometers) (Kilometers) Remarks -
Kansu-Sinkiang
19'.2
Kansu-Tninghai
Krursu 1 !59 or 1'1%)
Szechwan ly'')
 Start Approximate Length Length Completed
of Construction Between Terminals by the End of 1 n,4
Yea (Kilometers) (Kilometers)
Ch'enr-tu (30 40 11 104 04 E)
to K'un-minrt (2`r 04 N , 102 41 E)'
Nei-rhinnt; (2'1 35 N 10', 03 E)
to K'im-mir;,~,
Worth is probably in prorress, but the' of'
construction is unkJtorni.
This branch leaves the K'un-mine, - Chan-1
(2`. 3t N 1(i3 l+ ) E) line rour'hly 10i, km sort 1-
east of K'un-minr' and runs toward a mining area.'
By 1+t2, about 20 km had been completed, with
work abandoned on the renal tinier of the line.
This is a meter-gaur~e line runuiru? to a mining
area. Atr,Pa-chieli the lint' brnr'hes, wilt, one
spur i1endin:; south for 4 km and tl,e other hwad-
irip, west for 4 km,' .
This railroad was intended to he a major north-
south line in central China pafkllelinr',the
Peipint?-Canton line. Truck hue been Laid from
Lo-yang to I-yang (314 30 N- 112 10 E), but. work
has been suspended on the remainder of the line.
Work has been halted about ar km northwest of
Narikow, near the town of Yu',-meat{
(31 02 N 113 41 E). This line was projected,
to be part of an 800-km line between liankow rind
Sian.
Approximately 70 kin is operational from Yuan-
p'ing to the vicinity of Tsao-lin-ts'un
(39 09 N 113 07 E), and 20 km is operational
between Kno-pei-tiie`if-aed4ai-shui
(39 23 N 115 42 E). Since 1961, work has been
suspended on the uncompleted portion of the line.
 Start
of Construction
Region and Railroad Line Province (Year)
Norte (Continued)
Tang-kuan (37 21 N 112 28 E) Shansi-Ronan
to Hain-haiang (35 19 ti 113 52 E)
Hon-ma (35 30 N 111 23 E)
to Sian (34 1611 108 54 E)
1"+S8 or 1 45,
Kalgan (40 50 N 114 56 E)
to Chi-ring (40 57 N 113 02 E)
Hangchow (30 15 N 120 10 E)
to Ch'ang-hsing (31 01 N 119. 54 E)
P'u-k'ou (32 07.N 118 43 E)
to Ho-t'ei (31 51 N 117 17 E)
Yang-ts'un (39 23 N 117 03 E) toward
the northeast (to a'point approxi-
mately 40 00 N 117 22 E) . .
Tzu fio (Po-shan) (36 29 N 117 50 E)
to Hsin-t'ai (35 54 N 117 44 E)
Wu-hu (31 21 N 118 22 E)
to 'L'ung-ling (30 56 N 117 50 E)
T'ai-an' (36 12 N 117 97 E)
to Lai-wu (36 12 N 117 38 E)
Hopeh - Inner
Mongolian
Autonomous Region
Chekiang
Kiangsu-Anhwei
Approximate lrnpth
Between Terminals,
',(Kilometers)
Length Completed
by the End of ljU4
(Kilometers)
364
20u
Between 11)58 and 1'+f4, about 2''0 km of track was
0
I
laid between Hsin-hslanr, mid lisimu'-yunn
(36 32 ti 113 U2 E). Work was halted on the
rest of the, lire, after consIdernble construction
350
r,
had been complrted.
This line was projected lo provide a more direct
slrb
link between the industrial cities of Stan and
T'ai-yuan, but work was abandoned after a con-
siderable amount had becu completed on the
roadbed.
-Constructin of this cutof'f', bypassin, unt
on the Peipirrc - Pao-t'ou rail line, wan started
inc mid-Iwork, however. was suspended nft.cr
Hopeh
Probably after
1958
Shantung
1958 or 1959
Anhwei -
1958
'
Shantung -
1958
?
-15-
the roadbed had heon larg,eiy const,rurtrd,
150 0 Work was abandl,t,ed nlonH; the entire lerirt.h of the
line before a(ny truck had been laid.
0 Construction was in a prellmiuau?y stage when work
was halted. This line was projected to form part
of n major trunkline linking Ch'cng-tu with
Shanghai.
100 0 This line had never been reported, but i:. could
have been projected as a bypass around Peiping
from the Tientsin area. Construction, however,
has been suspended along its length.
98 70
90
i70
This is a branch line leading to mining areas; it
1 has been eom}rleted to the vicinity of Lai-wu
(36 12 N 117 38 E), about 70 km north of
llsin-t'ai, .
50 Work was halted after partial completion. This'
line was projected to run to.t.he T'ung-kuan-shay,
copper mines south of T'ung-1ing.1
0 Construction has been suspended along tire length
of the line.
 North?(Continued)
Fu-Ii-chi (33 46 N 116 58 E) Anhwei-Kiangsu
to Yang-lou (34 15 N 117 03 E)
T'ar-an (36 12 tr 117 07 E)
to F.i-ch'eng (36 15 N 116 46 E)
t=1
II
Southeast
Hsiang-t'an (27 51 N 112 54 E)
to Tu-yun (26 16 N 107 31 E)
I'
L=]
~ I.
Yu-shun (28 140 N 118 15 E)
to Foochow (26 05 ;l 119 18 E)
San-shul (23 10 N 112 49?E)
.to Mao-mint',' (21 41 N 110 51 E)
Ctlin-hua '(29 07 N 119 39 E)
to Wenchow ('28 01 }d. 120 39 E) Ta-yeh (30 05 N 114 57 E)
to Sha-ho (29 37 N 115 53 E)
-Met-shubk1eng-(25-13-N-117 33 E) .
to Ch'uan-chou (24 54 N 118 35 E)
Shantung
Start Approximate Length Length Completed
of Construction Between Terminals by the End of 1964
?(Yeju') (Kilometers) (Kilometers)
A 33-km section has been completed between
Fu-li-chi and Sul-ch'i (33 55 N` 116 46 E),
and a small section has been completed south from
Yang-lou. Work, hcwever, has been suspended on
the uncompleted pe.tion.
This is a short branch line to a coal mining area.
Work was completed in about 1?'.3.
Hunan-Kweichow
Anhwei-Kiangsi'
Work was suspended approximately 4G km east of
Hein-hua (27 45.rr?lll 18 E)
Reconstruction was started on both the northern
and southern sections of this line, which was
partly built by the Nationalists but was dis
mantled during World War II. Work, however,.has
been halted. -3
Kiangsi-Fukien
Construction was abandoned after some work had
been started from both ends of the line. The
northern terminal was probably changed from
Yu-shah to Chiang-shan(28 45 N 118 37 E),
Kwangtung
317
Work was suspended after a preliminary stare of
construraion,
1958
304
This line was projected to run to Canton, but work
was stopped in, about 1962, after reaching an
iron ore mining center near Lung-yen
(25 11 N' 117 00 E).
Chekiang
1958
,Some construction wns started from the Chin-hua
termintL-bePore work was suspended.
Hupeh-Kisngsi
1959.
?-?
After considerable construction was completed
from both ends?of the line, work was suspended.
Fukien"
1958
- ,150
This line may be under active-construction.
 Region and Railroad Line Province
Southeast (Continued) ?
P'ing-shah (25 19 N 112 58 E)
to Lien-hsien (24 47 N 112 25 E)
Hsin-yu (27 48 N 114 56 E)
to T'ai-ho (26 48 N 114 56 E)
Hsiang-t'ang area (28 26 IN 115 58 E)
to Shao-yang (27 15 N 111 38 E)
Ning-po (Yin-hsien)
(29 53 N ' 121 33 E) to Ch'uan-shan
(29 53 N 121 5b E)
Start Approximate Length ' Length Completed
of Construction Between Terminals by the End of 1704
(Year) (Kilometers) (Kilometers)
Kwangtung
Work was halted in late 11)01 after a considerable
amount had been completed on the roadb/d. Thin'
line was projected to eventually ext.eA to .
Rues-lin (2) 17 N 110 17 E) in Kwangs) Province,
where some work was stnrjed t,ut abandoned.
Kianget
1058
128
20
A 20-km section was completed south from Hsin-yu
to a mining area, but work was nbandooed beyond
11
this point.,
Kiangsi
After 1960
120
_ .00
This line is n%?tivel' under construction near
Lo-an (27 24 N 11', 4 E),
1958
98
yn
This line was completed in mid-1It runs to
1957 or 19`,8
50 0
a coal and timber producing, area.
The Chinese have beer; unable to overcome the
en+ineering problems of constructing; a rail line
across the low marshy plain in the area and have
suspended work.
Liu-chou area (24 19 N 10) 24 E) Kwangsi
Total southeast China
Manchuria (northeast)
Pei-air (48 16 N 126 36 E). Heilungkiang
to Hei,ho (50 1,6 N 127 28 E)'*
Wan-kou (41 59 N 126 58 E) Kirin
toward An-t'u (43 06 N 128 54 E)
Nen-chiang (49 11 N 125 13 E) Heilungkiang
n
to Hei-ho
Probably after
1958
After 1960 398
1~f
Approximately t,r km west. of Liu-choua pcutl;;
completed but abandoned line branches off the
main line to the'town of Lo-ch'eru? i?_
(24 4'1 N 108 J4?Ej.
The alignment follows an Jld dismantled line
which leads to the Soviet border at? Hei-ho.
The reconstructed portion of the line is probably
operational for about 1,0 km.nortl of Pei-an,
and construction maybe in progress further
north toward the border.
An 80-km section hae~,tjeen completed and an 80-km
section is under const.ruction east of Fu-sung
(42 17 N 127 19 E) in the direction of An-t'u.
Reports indicate that this is a standard-gauge
forestry line.
This-dismantled line has probably been rebuilt as
far as Ho-lung-men (approximately
49:54 N 125 55 E).
 Manchuria (northeast) (Continued)
Yen-t'ung-shrth (43 1711 12'~ 50 E)
to Lung;-wmt''dniao (N.A.)
Chang-ch'un (43 '2 2 125 21 E) Kirin
to Cb'tcn-kuo-erh-to-ssu
(45 08 N 124 48 E)
1dn-chin-ch'cnr?,-tru (41 22 N 124 20 E) Liaoning
C/1 to Huan-jen (41 1(N 121, 21 E)
I Kirin (43 51 N 120 33 E) Kirin
to Shu-1nn:(44 25 N 126 57 E)
H Fa-k'u (42 30 N 123 24 E). toward Liaoning
the southwest,
(u-fu-ch'1 (50 24 N 12410 E) Inner Mongolian
northward Autonomous Region
P'o-11. (45 4t, N 130 31 E) Heilungkiang
to Ch'i-tai-ho (45 47 N 130 56 E)
Te-erh-pu-erh Sa proximately Inner Mongolian
51 20 N 121 CO~E)" Autonomous Region
,,Total Manchuria
Total Communist China
Of which:
Started dt]ring the "leap
forward" (1958-60)
Started during the retrench-
ment period (1961-64)
Start Approximate Leut;t,h Iength Completed
of Construr't ion between Terminals ? by. the Errci of PIP 1+
(Year) (Kilometers) (Kilunieters)
Probably. after
G JJ
Cornt.ruct.lon of this'?line wits report.dly strirted
n 1'x58 by 10,0uI Youth Leattue memoirs. Work
was suspendn?d alter mu,h of the roadhei Lrul been
cumlleted to the vicinity of Nun-tier
(142 111 N 121, 43 E).
Dismm,U ed after World War II, this line was
reportedly under restoratI,v it; I Work
ntpprurentl,i never proi?,ressed beyorrd:a preliminary
atar,,e? ..
Construntion has been suspended alter a con-
siderable amount of work on.the roadbed. This
line may have been projected to run to T'ung-
?hun (41 41 N 121~ ''t E) In Kirin Province.
H orstruction of this dismantled line was
started in but work has been halted near
the midpoint between the two thrminals.
Work has teen suspended on it partly completed
1958
line that runs approximately h1 km southwest
of Fn-k'u.
A standard-gauge for^'stry line may be under
construction dn'thi' wren,
This line probably runs to a mining, area, but
it,may be extended farther cast toward the'
border. ,
After 1960
N.A.
N.A.
A standard-gauge forestry line may be under
,construction in this area.
1,530
381
4,790
590
. 180
 Otart Approximate Length Length Completed
of?Conatruct}on Between Terminals by the End of 1964
(Year).:-' -, (Kilometers)- (Kiloleters)
w a
Harbin (45 45 N 126 39 E) to
Chia-mu-ssu (46 50 N 130 21 E)
Harbin to Mu-tan-chiang
(44 35 N 129 36 E)
Shih-Chia-Chuang
(38 03 N 114 29. E) to
P ai-yuan (37 5 '.N 112 31E)
Thin in part of`the 2,324-km trunk )ine,betwPen
Peiping and Canton. The 659-km section between
Peiping and Cheng-chou was lnrrg',ly double tracked
by 1958, when work started let wen Cheng-Chou and
Canton. The lint has been grncrnlly double
tracked to a point roushly 100 km south of the
Wu-hnn complex (30 31, 11 114 13 E). below this
point construction was abandoned, after n eon-
sidcrable amount of work had be-n completed on
the rondbed.
This line is double tracked most of the way hetwcrn
~ientsin and P'u-k'ou (32 07 N 118 43 E), except
for two short sections -- a 1(Y,-km section between
Tsinsn (3b 40 N 117 00 E) and Tz'u-yno
(35 511-N 117'06 E) and a 104-km section between
Fu-1i-chi ~(33 46 N 116 58 E) and Pnnn-fou
(32 57 11 117 21 E). ThrChinese may actively
be. working on the Tsinsn - Tz'u.yao section,
but work on the rest of the line has probably
been halted.
This line is largely double tracked as for as
Ta-t'ung (40 05 N 113 18 E). The roadbed be-
tween Ta-t'ung and Pao-t'ou has nppnrrntly peen
,:'alcompleted for some time, and the Chinese may be
laying a second track.
This line is double tracked to Lien-hua-eau
?(34 93 N 109 45 E). A considerable ,mount of
work for a second track has been completed
farther west toward Sian, but active construc-
tion has apparently been halted.
This line has apparently been double tracked
along most of the route.
This line.has been double tracked to Yu-tzu
(37 42N 112 44 E) near T'ai-yuan, but work
has been abandoned on a bypass around. Yu-tzu.
a: The railroad liops'are listed in ordbr of descending length. between ~enninals ; Data have been rounded to three significant digits
1
 (41 48 N 123 27 E) to Pen-ch'?i
_
-
Mukden and the iuduetrinl center at Pen-ch'1.
(4I 0 f
45 E~
I73
M,ukden to Fl-shun
61
61
This line has been double tracked to the Industrial
(41 5? N
123
53E)'
center sF. Fu-shun.
C 7
Total
5.900
3.470
t1i
i
Start
_of_Construction
Approximate Length
Between. Terminald.
Length Completed
by the fhd of 19L4.
(Year)
(Kilometers) '\
(Kilometers)
Chin-chou (41 07 N 121
06 E) to
Liaoning
50
This line in generally double tracked for n iii
Nsin-li-t'un (42 00 N
122 09 E)
50 km west of Nsln-11-t'un, with no evidence that
Mukden (Shen-yang)
Llaoning
Probably in 1958
84
84
work Is In progress to double the remainder e+:
the line.
This line is double tracked along the 84 km between
H
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