Hangzhou-Wenzhou rail debuts summer innovations

The Hangzhou-Wenzhou high-speed railway is introducing innovative services as it enters its first summer peak since opening in September 2024.

To enhance the travel experience, service innovations include a convenience service corner onboard offering charging facilities and toys for children, cooling kits equipped with mosquito repellent, and cooling ointment.

Liu Xiaoying, train conductor for China Railway Shanghai Group, said: “Our crew receives advanced training on distinctive scenic spots and folk activities of the cities along the route so we can offer recommendations to passengers.”

Spanning 267 kilometers at a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the line connects nine stations from Hangzhou to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. As of July 10, it had transported approximately 12.3 million passengers.

As a cornerstone of Zhejiang’s “one-hour transport circle” initiative, the rail reduces travel time between Hangzhou West Railway Station and Wenzhou North Railway Station to just 87 minutes. It also links to the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway and other existing lines.

Tourism-driven regions have reaped immediate benefits. Yongjia county in Wenzhou is home to two stations along the railway. During the most recent National Day holiday, the number of tour groups visiting Hangzhou to Yongjia accounted for 25 percent of the total, up 79.9 percent year-on-year.

The Nanxi River scenic area, a 4A-level scenic spot in Yongjia, also has a station. The scenic area welcomed 618,000 visits during the May Day holiday, ranking second provincially in daily foot traffic.

“The railway has expanded our visitor source market and propelled upgrades in tourism products and business forms,” said Xu Jun, deputy director of Yongjia’s bureau of culture, radio, television, tourism and sports.

Xu also highlighted the county’s ongoing efforts to establish the Nanxi River scenic area as a national 5A-level and a popular destination in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The first film-themed high-speed train in the Yangtze River Delta brought over 600 passengers from Shanghai to Hengdian on June 29. “This is not only a milestone for the Hangzhou-Wenzhou high-speed railway, but also an innovative practice of the culture-tourism integration in the Yangtze River Delta region,” said Wu Nan, deputy operation manager at the Blooms Hangwen Railway Company, one of the operators of the railway.

“More tourism trains from Pan’an, Xianju, and Nanxijiang to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hefei will be operated in the future and may achieve regular operations,” Wu added.

Since the summer holiday began, stations along the Hangzhou-Wenzhou railway have experienced increasing passenger traffic. “This summer, we expect the daily average passenger flow of our station to reach 5,500 to 6,000,” said Li Shuoyan, a duty officer at Hengdian Station.