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The social stability risk assessment report for the Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway (Zhanhai HSR) project was recently released. The railway had already been listed as a key project for Hainan Province, and a pre-feasibility research report is currently being compiled. It is estimated that the pre-feasibility study for the railway will be completed and approved this year.

According to the plans, the Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway will stretch 130 kilometers, with trains that will reach speeds of 350 km per hour.

The railway will run from the Zhanjiangxi Railway Station down the Leizhou Peninsula to Hai’an Ferry Station in Guangdong Province; then it will run across the Qiongzhou Strait by train ferry and arrive in Haikou to connect with Hainan’s railway network.

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A new roll-on/roll-off terminal to serve the Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway will be built in Haikou. Construction of the ferry terminal is set to begin in May 2020.

The Zhanjiang-Haikou high-speed railway project is expected to ameliorate external traffic bottleneck problems on Hainan Island, reduce shipping costs, and effectively improve the integration and level of development of the Beibu Gulf area.

The high-speed railway is expected to aid in the construction of the “Hainan International Tourism Island” project and to help expand Hainan’s economy, while helping advance the joint development of the Hainan Beibu Gulf area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The project will be fully integrated into China’s “Belt and Road” development strategy.