新华社权威快报丨5万公里！中国高铁运营里程新突破

Core Viewpoint - The opening of the Xi'an to Yan'an high-speed railway marks a significant milestone in China's high-speed rail development, pushing the total operational mileage of high-speed rail in the country to over 50,000 kilometers, further enhancing connectivity and transportation efficiency [3]. Group 1: High-Speed Rail Development - The Xi'an to Yan'an high-speed railway officially commenced operations on December 26, 2025, with the C9309 "Fuxing" intelligent train departing from Yan'an station [3]. - This development signifies the entry of the revolutionary old area of Yan'an into the "high-speed rail era" [3]. - China's high-speed rail network now features a comprehensive "eight vertical and eight horizontal" layout, facilitating a 1 to 2-hour travel circle for cities within a 500-kilometer radius [3]. Group 2: Operational Capacity and Coverage - The high-speed rail system can transport up to 16 million passengers daily, equivalent to the population of a large city moving through the rail network [3]. - Currently, high-speed rail covers 97% of cities with a population of over 500,000 in China [3]. - China holds the world's largest high-speed rail operational mileage, surpassing the combined total of all other countries, and boasts the highest operational speeds globally [3].