Hainan is pushing for the start of the Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway (Zhanhai HSR) project, for which construction is expected to begin in 2019, according to the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
 
Upon the new line's completion, the Haikou-Sanya high-speed railway will be connected to China’s national high-speed rail network.
 
The Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway project is expected to break the external traffic bottleneck on Hainan Island, reduce shipping costs, and effectively improve the integration and intensive development level of the Beibu Gulf area. The high-speed railway is expected to help push forward the joint development of the Beibu Gulf area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and will be fully integrated into China’s “Belt and Road” development strategy.
 
The total length of the Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway will be 130 kilometers, with a design speed of 350 km per hour. It will stretch between Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province and Haikou in Hainan Province, and is expected be one of the most beautiful high-speed railways in the world, with nearly half of its length running over the Qiongzhou Strait.