Beijing–Yuanping railway

The Beijing–Yuanping railway or Jingyuan railway (simplified Chinese: 京原铁路; traditional Chinese: 京原鐵路; pinyin: jīngyuán tiělù), is a railway line in northern China between Beijing, the national capital, and Yuanping in Shanxi Province. The line is 418 km (260 mi) in length, and traverses through Beijing Municipality, Hebei Province and Shanxi Province. The Beijing–Yuanping railway was built between 1965 and 1971, and entered into operation in 1973. At the time of its construction, the line was primarily intended to transport coal from Shanxi and move military assets in the event of a national defense emergency. The line runs almost entirely in mountainous terrain. Major cities and counties along the route include Beijing, Laiyuan, Lingqiu, Fanshi, Dai and Yuanping.

Route

In Beijing, the Jingyuan Line begins at the Shijingshan South Railway Station, a junction with the Fengtai–Shacheng railway in Fengtai District west of the city, and runs westward through Shijingshan District and Fangshan Districts into the Western Hills. The line passes Zhoukoudian and follows the gorge of Juma River from Sandu in western Fangshan, upriver to Laiyuan in Hebei Province. Along the way, the line passes through scenic areas including Shidu, the Zijingguan Great Wall, and the Eastern Qing Tombs. From Laiyuan, the line continues westward through the Taihang Mountains into Shanxi.