China News Service, Hangzhou, January 8 (Zhang Yuhuan) On January 8, with the announcement of the "Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway opening" by Yuan Jiajun, secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, in Hangzhou, the two first Fuxing trains departed from Taizhou Station and Shengzhou Xinchang Station at the same time. China's first privately-held high-speed railway, the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway, was officially opened for operation.
On the same day, Zhejiang set up the main venue for the opening ceremony in Hangzhou, and set up branch venues in Taizhou and Shengzhou Xinchang.
When China has entered the era of high-speed railways for more than ten years, and the operating mileage of high-speed railways has exceeded 40,000 kilometers, why is the new high-speed railway in Zhejiang focusing attention again?
The "time" and "potential" behind it are quite meaningful.
"Six years of sharpening a sword", the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway, which shoulders the mission of the reform of the railway investment and financing system, has carved another milestone in the history of China's railway reform and development.
At a time when the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and common prosperity are constantly being mentioned, this high-speed rail with multiple labels of "benefiting the people", "culture" and "tourism" has also paved the way for the better life of nearly 10 million people along the line. track.
Construction workers take commemorative tickets before taking the first train of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway.
Photo by Wang Gang
"Six years of sharpening a sword": a milestone breakthrough through reform and innovation
The Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway is a veritable "reform road".
In December 2015, the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway was identified by the National Development and Reform Commission as one of the first eight social capital investment railway demonstration projects in China.
This exploration and practice has become a landmark breakthrough in the history of China's railway reform and development.
Among the eight projects, the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway from Zhejiang took the lead in successfully unveiling the veil.
"Zhejiang can lead the way, I think it is mainly due to the environment of comprehensively deepening reform and opening up, as well as Zhejiang's 'reform gene'." Zhou Huafu, member of the party group of Zhejiang Development and Reform Commission and president of Zhejiang Development Planning Research Institute, accepted Sino-Singapore said in an online interview.
Actors perform Taizhou random bombs in the carriage.
Photo by Wang Gang
In his view, in the face of various difficulties in the reform of the railway investment and financing system, Zhejiang's reform spirit and the strong vitality of the private economy play an important role.
Since the reform and opening up, the private economy has become a valuable resource for Zhejiang's economic development, contributing more than 60% of the province's GDP, more than 70% of tax revenue, more than 80% of employment, and more than 90% of the number of enterprises.
Just one day before the opening of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway, Zhejiang held a high-level private economic development conference in the province. Yuan Jiajun said at the meeting, "The private economy is the golden name card of Zhejiang's development, and it is the biggest feature and advantage of Zhejiang's economy."
This characteristic and advantage is manifested in the reform of the investment and financing system of the Pathfinder Railway.
The first train of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway is about to depart.
Photo by Zhang Yuhuan
With the cooperation of many parties, the project was officially launched in September 2017. The Zhejiang Provincial Government and the private capital consortium led by Fosun International signed the "Hang-Shaoxing-Taiwan Railway PPP Project Investment Contract". The project share ratio is: private consortium 51%, China Railway Development Fund Company 15%, Zhejiang Province (Transportation Investment Group) 13.6%, Taizhou (Railway Construction Investment Co., Ltd.) 10.2%, Shaoxing City (Transportation Investment Group Co., Ltd.) 10.2%.
"Through this model, the market power of private capital has been greatly mobilized, and the effect of 'concentrating strength to do big things' has been achieved." Zhou Huafu said.
Three months after the project was launched, the construction of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway officially started.
Zhou Huafu said frankly that the implementation and advancement of the railway was "much smoother" than expected.
"In the process of private capital participation, the investment control, progress control and quality control of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway are very standardized, laying a solid foundation for the scheduled opening."
Inside Taizhou Station.
Photo by Wang Gang
After more than 1,400 days and nights, overcoming the adverse factors such as typhoons and the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway has been advancing in an orderly and rapid manner. Dongming Tunnel 18.226 kilometers), the first single-hole four-line large-section tunnel and many other high-speed rail construction records.
"It can be said that the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway has set an excellent example for the reform and innovation of the railway investment and financing system. At present, the second privately-held high-speed railway in Zhejiang is also under construction. They will inject new vitality into Zhejiang's economic and social development." Zhou Huafu said.
People take a group photo in Taizhou Station.
Photo by Zhang Yuhuan
Integrating into the Yangtze River Delta: Stringing up new trends on the road to common prosperity
How to let the people share the fruits of reform?
The Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway is also a "road to common prosperity" that benefits the people.
The Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway connects Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Taizhou in Zhejiang Province, with a total line of 266 kilometers and a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. There are 8 stations in Shaoxing North, Shangyu South, Shengzhou North, Shengzhou Xinchang, Tiantai Mountain, Linhai, Taizhou and Wenling. Later, Shengzhou, Xinchang, Tiantai and other places ended the history of no railway.
Dabo from the Shengzhou Railway Project Engineering Construction Headquarters is one of the participants in the construction of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway.
Ever since he chose a major in transportation in college, he has been looking forward to a high-speed rail linking to his hometown of Shengzhou.
"This time it really came true. The strongest wish of many of the older generation around me is to take the high-speed rail to Beijing and see Tiananmen Square. In the past, when we arrived in Beijing, we had to transfer trains in Hangzhou, which took at least half a day."
In the era of the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway connects Shanghai-Kunming, Shanghe-Hangzhou, Nanjing-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Huangzhou, and Hangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railways and integrates into the high-speed railway network in the Yangtze River Delta region.
The travel time of the fastest railway from Taizhou to Hangzhou is shortened to about 1 hour, which expands the scope of Zhejiang's "one-hour traffic circle" and greatly facilitates traffic travel in the Yangtze River Delta region.
"As a Taizhou native who works in Hangzhou, it used to take me two or three hours to get home, but now it only takes me more than an hour." Pan Qiong, a flight attendant from the Hangzhou Passenger Section, also said on the first train G9308 of the Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed rail. Introduce the local food and beautiful scenery of Taizhou to tourists, and welcome people to visit their hometown.
The Hangzhou-Taiwan high-speed railway is also a "golden tourism channel" in Zhejiang.
Xu Bin, head of the Hangzhou-Shaotai Railway Special Line of the Railway Institute of Zhejiang Provincial Development Planning Institute, said that the Hangzhou-Taizhou high-speed railway passes through the "Tang Poetry Road in East Zhejiang", and connects a large number of historical sites such as Lu Xun's hometown, Tianmu Mountain Scenic Area, and Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area.
"Scenic spots such as Lu Xun's hometown in Shaoxing are only ten minutes away from the high-speed rail station, and tourists who come to travel can get off the bus and have a good time." Xu Bin said.
Let the private economy feed back local development, make beautiful scenery closer to tourists, and make hometowns and tourists no longer far away. This new railway connects cities along the line, which has strengthened the relationship between cities and people, and also made beauty and happiness. Life is more of a possibility.
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