This article is about the rail line between Hangzhou and Ningbo that was first completed in 1934 and rebuilt in 1957. For the new high-speed line between the two cities, see Hangzhou–Ningbo high-speed railway.
The Qinglindu Bridge of the Xiaoyong railway in Ningbo
The oldest section on the Xiaoyong railway is the 18.19 kilometres (11.30 mi) section between Ningbo and Cicheng, which opened in December 1912. The Ningbo to Cao'e section, 78 kilometres (48 mi) in length, followed in June 1914, and the Xiaoshan to Cao'e section was completed in October 1936.[2] During the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938, the railway line was dismantled to prevent its use by the invading Japanese.[2] Following the end of World War II, the railroad right of way was converted into a highway. In 1953, the railway was rebuilt in parts and completed in 1959 with the assistance of Soviet engineers. Between 2002 and 2009, the line was electrified.[2] In 2013, the parallel Hangzhou–Ningbo high-speed railway opens, shifting significant amounts of intercity passenger traffic away from the Xiaoyong Railway and enabling railway to carry more freight and local passenger traffic. Since 2017, a number a commuter railway services started operating on segments of the line, such as Line S1 Ningbo–Yuyao intercity railway operating in Ningbo and Shaoxing Tourism New Transit railway operating in Shaoxing.[3] In 2018, China's first double-stack container trains running under overhead catenary started operation on Xiaoyong railway between Gaobu and the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan.[4][5]
