How Can "Private Investment in Railways" Move Forward Steadily and Ensure a Win-Win in Construction and Operations?: CCTV

　　The railway starts at Tongludong Railway Station in Hangzhou, passes through Jinhua, Taizhou and Wenzhou, and connects to Wenzhoubei Railway Station. From there, it extends via the existing Hangzhou-Shenzhen Railway to Wenzhounan Railway Station. The main line is 276 kilometers long, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

　　The opening of the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High Speed Railway further strengthens the high speed rail network in the Yangtze River Delta. It establishes a "1-hour traffic circle" connecting the four major metropolitan areas of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Jinhua-Yiwu region. This railway also enhances the connection between coastal city clusters around Wenzhou, cities along the Wenzhou-Yiwu expressway, the Yangtze River Delta core region, and the Yangtze River city belt in Anhui, speeding up the flow of people, goods and innovative resources along the route.

　　Historically, China's high speed railway construction has been primarily led by the state, with funding mainly from government investment and bank loans. However, as the scale of high speed rail construction expands, so does the need for more funding. To broaden financing channels and attract more private capital, the government has introduced policies encouraging private investment in railways. But how can "private investment in railways" ensure a win-win situation in both construction and operations? The Hangzhou-Wenzhou High Speed Railway is not alone in exploring this. China's first privately-funded high speed railway, the Hangzhou-Taizhou High Speed Railway, offers a valuable reference.

　　The successful operation of the Hangzhou-Taizhou High Speed Railway, which opened in January 2022, over the past two years has demonstrated that high speed railways constructed by private companies can be just as safe and reliable. Despite its challenging terrain, featuring many bridges, tunnels and special bridge spans, the Hangzhou-Taizhou High Speed Railway achieved several construction milestones, including breakthroughs in high speed rail technology in diatomaceous earth regions and setting a record for the deepest construction point in China's high speed rail at 143 meters.

　　Today, private enterprises are a vital force in driving new quality productive forces across various industries. The 20th CPC Central Committee's third plenary session emphasized "promoting the complementary advantages and joint development of all types of ownership," with a particular focus on "fairly opening competitive sectors in infrastructure to business entities." A representative from the National Development and Reform Commission stated that moving forward, the government will continue to create favorable conditions, eliminate entry barriers, and adhere to the principles of fairness, openness and justice to attract more private capital to participate in major projects in sectors like energy and railways.