Wuhan–Yichang railway

Wuhan–Yichang railway, or Hanyi railway (simplified Chinese: 汉宜铁路; traditional Chinese: 漢宜鐵路; pinyin: Hàn-Yí Tiělù), is a 291-kilometre (181 mi) long higher-speed railway between Hankou (in Wuhan) and Yichang, in Hubei province, China. The railway forms a section of the Huhanrong passenger-dedicated line from Shanghai to Wuhan to Chengdu. The Hanyi Railway was completed in spring 2012 and started commercial operations on 1 July 2012. Adjacent high-speed rail sections, the Hefei–Wuhan railway to the east and the Yichang−Wanzhou railway to the west, opened respectively in April 2009 and December 2010.

Unlike most other high-speed railways in China which generally follow the route of pre-existing railway lines, the Hanyi railway takes a new, more direct, route between Wuhan and Yichang, bringing rail service for the first time to cities along the Yangtze River in central Hubei such as Hanchuan, Xiantao, and Qianjiang. Jingzhou, previously only served by a branch rail line to Jingmen to the north, now enjoys frequent through-train service to Wuhan and Yichang. The railway is built to National Class I standards and can accommodate freight traffic, including double-stack rail transport.

The Wuhan–Yichang high speed railway is a faster 350kph rated under construction line that parallels the Hanyi Railway as part of the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed railway. The new parallel line is expected to be opened in 2025.