Passengers line up to get on a train at a station on the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The Hangzhou–Wenzhou High-Speed Railway, which opened last year, is experiencing its first summer travel peak. Since its launch on Sept 6, 2024, the line has transported nearly 12.3 million passengers as of July 10.

Stretching 276 kilometers, the railway starts from Tonglu East Station in Hangzhou and passes through the cities of Jinhua and Taizhou before extending to Wenzhou. The line has nine stations in total.

As a key part of Zhejiang's "one-hour traffic circle" project, the high-speed rail enables passengers to travel directly from Hangzhou West Station to destinations such as Pujiang, Yiwu, Dongyang, Xianju and Wenzhou. The fastest journey between Hangzhou West and Wenzhou North takes just 87 minutes.

Integrated with the existing high-speed rail network in the Yangtze River Delta region, the Hangzhou-Wenzhou line now connects efficiently with other major routes, including the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou and Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railways, allowing access to cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Popular tourist spots along the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway, such as Hengdian, Xianju and Nanxi River, are seeing strong passenger flows this summer.

"The convenience brought by the high-speed rail has significantly expanded our tourist source markets and enhanced the upgrade of tourism products and business models," said Xu Jun, deputy director of the culture and tourism bureau of Yongjia county in Wenzhou.

"We expect daily passenger numbers to reach 5,500 to 6,000 this summer, mainly families, students and senior travelers," said a staff member at Hengdian Station.

To meet demand, additional tourist trains have been added between Shanghai and Hengdian.

The stations along the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-Speed Railway have been upgrading their services to improve passenger experience as well, including providing shuttle buses between the stations and tourist spots.