Table of Contents
Authors | M. Martínez Euklidiadas, Lucía Burbano
Most Chinese cities, which are now vibrant and full of work, were once just small towns only a few decades ago. The opening of China, the deployment of roads and, finally, the country’s public railway system, has turned dozens of small fishing villages into thriving cities at the forefront of technology.
High-speed connectivity is the fuel that powers innovation and intelligent transportation systems. The speed at which the average population could get about has always determined the global capacity to develop new ideas. Today, the Chinese people can enjoy a public transport system that is both excellent and efficient.
China, the kingdom of bicycles
For more than a century, cycling was the most popular mode of transport for the Chinese people and, in fact, active public policies aimed at reducing emissions and the creation of livable cities are now making this mode of urban transport necessary in city centers.
But what is now a smart choice was a necessity with no other alternatives just a few decades ago. Bicycles allowed people to travel dozens of kilometers for next to nothing. People could go to work or school and have a better future thanks to their bikes. It is impossible to understand Chinese development without bicycles.
It was from 1978 onward that public transportation in China expanded significantly, driven by rapid urbanization and large-scale migration from rural areas to cities. This trend increased traffic congestion, prompting investment to expand municipal bus fleets, modernize conventional railways, and build metro networks such as Shanghai’s, which began development in the 1990s.
Today, it is impossible to understand the country without talking of the mutually beneficial union between bicycles and the public railway sector, offloading the mobility peaks onto a network of bus lines BRT (bus rapid transit) influenced by Brazil and recommended by the World Bank.
Railway transport in Chinese cities
Unlike European cities, which grew over thousands of years and in a ‘layered’ fashion, or American urbanism, first with trains and then cars, Chinese cities grew rapidly in just a matter of decades. And they did so upwards, as a result of state planning.
The high density of new Chinese cities allowed subway lines to be designed and deployed at an incredible speed. And vice versa: a good railway system allows and consolidates high density. This system generates a virtuous circle unlike urban sprawl.
A few years ago, a subway station built in the middle of nowhere went viral. The Caojiawan station appeared in all the newspapers in 2017 as an apparent waste of public money. This state-of-the-art station appeared in the middle of nowhere in a rural setting. Its glass elevator went nowhere, and the east side was also closed.
Obviously, everything was planned. Caojiawan was one of the Chongqing subway stations that were built waiting for the development of the city. The city authorities were ahead of growth to prevent the sprawl seen during this phase in other parts of the world. The result? The main mode of transport in China is the railway.
How is the network of high-speed trains designed?
China did not just remain in the urban or peri-urban area. The high speed rail network —‘high’ for Chinese standards, around 200 km/h; the European standard is 250 km/h— enables quick, convenient and low-impact travel between cities. It is one of the country’s greatest achievements.
With the aim of maintaining a rapid connection between cities, so that the population people could get about reliably, China connected all major city centers through public railway lines. The result? One of the most compact networks in the world.
Today, China has one of the best interurban railway connection networks. So much so that this mode of transport is taking over from much more polluting forms of transport like cars and flying. The idea is for a future with a country at the forefront of the energy transition.
AI integration into the transportation network
China has become a global leader in applying artificial intelligence (AI), big data, 5G, and the Internet of Things (IoT) across its public transportation network. Broadly speaking, these technologies improve operational efficiency and the passenger experience, while reducing congestion and supporting sustainability.
AI, in particular, is playing an increasingly key important in China’s intelligent transportation systems. By analyzing data from cameras, sensors, and GPS devices, AI optimizes traffic signal timing, reduces congestion, and responds to real-time traffic conditions, giving priority to buses and emergency vehicles.
AI also enables predictive maintenance by monitoring rail tracks, trains, and signaling equipment before failures occur. This helps reduce costs and minimize service disruptions.
Chinese cities already integrating AI and other technologies into their transportation networks
Hangzhou
In 2025, Hangzhou East Railway Station introduced China’s first AI-powered travel assistant. Using GPS, generative AI, and real-time passenger flow analysis, it guides travelers through one of the country’s busiest railway stations.
Beijing
The world’s busiest metro system uses AI to improve operations and maintenance through autonomous robots that inspect trains using computer vision, 3D imaging, and robotic arms.
Chengdu
Chengdu is one of the first cities in China to deploy fully automated metro operations using the GoA4 system, which allows trains to operate without onboard staff. Its connected infrastructure also enables trains to communicate with one another.
Environmental considerations for rail travel and bicycles
At both an urban level and peri-urban and interurban level, China intends to lead the green transition to a low-impact network. At an urban level, all focus is on something similar to the French 15-minute city.
Public transportation plays such a vital role in China that it has a major influence on urban development. It supports strategies such as creating high-density, mixed-use neighborhoods around metro stations.
In addition, the country’s main rail hubs connect multiple cities into integrated economic regions. Examples include the Jing-Jin-Ji region (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei), the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao), and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.
At the center of this development, as with European cities, is the improved quality of life of citizens and environmental protection. Making space for biodiversity within cities and doing the same between them, is one of the key measures for protecting the territory.
This is why Chinese cities are firmly committed to high, medium and low-speed railway lines, on which bicycles are allowed. The country is therefore putting an end to the cycle of abandonment of this versatile method of transport, a symbol of the energy transition, decarbonization and the fight against climate change.
How many people use public transport in China?
Regardless of the metrics analyzed, the Chinese public railway system has not stopped growing since reliable figures were first obtained. In the rail sector specifically, ridership increased by 9.5% in 2024, representing an additional 2.8 billion passenger trips.
At an urban level, subway lines are also a solution for reducing emissions. By the end of 2024, China’s national urban rail network included metro or urban rail systems in 54 cities, with 325 operational lines, 10,945.6 km of track, and 6,324 stations.
The use of bicycles has increased again since almost disappearing just a couple of decades ago. However, this growth differs significantly from that of the 1980s and 1990s. It has been driven primarily by the rise of dockless bike-sharing programs and e-bikes, which have become an effective complement to metro and bus services.
It is fascinating to see how urban and peri-urban mobility has gone full circle in China: from bicycles to private cars, and back to bicycles (as well as the subway or high-speed rail). In this historic repetition, cycling forms part of the public transport network.
FAQs about the evolution of rail transportation in China
How did rail transportation transform urban development in China?
Rail transportation connected cities, encouraged higher urban density, and helped transform small towns into major metropolitan areas.
Why do bicycles remain essential to mobility in China?
Because they combine a minimal environmental impact with low cost while providing convenient connections to metro systems and other forms of public transportation.
What role does artificial intelligence play in China’s transportation system?
AI optimizes operations, predicts equipment failures, manages passenger flows, and improves the efficiency of rail and metro systems.
How many Chinese cities have metro or urban rail systems?
By the end of 2024, China had 54 cities with metro or urban rail systems, 325 operational lines, and more than 10,900 km of network.
Why is China integrating rail, metro, and bicycles?
Because this approach creates a more sustainable transportation system, reduces emissions, and enables more efficient travel within and between cities.
Images | World Bank, MF Evelyn, Daiwenchen, Sohu, Luke Pusateri, mitry Grachyo, Bao Menglong
