On January 26, the national train operation timetable adjustment for the first quarter of 2026 was officially started. This adjustment is in line with passenger travel demand, marking a significant transportation upgrade for Huaihua with the addition of multiple high-speed rail routes, further strengthening its cross-regional transportation network. On the first day of the train’s timetable adjustment, Huaihua South Station saw an increase in passenger flow, with a total of 30,309 passengers arriving and departing that day—16,784 arrivals and 13,525 departures.
This train schedule adjustment adds Huaihua two new high-speed rail routes to two popular destinations: Xingyi South Station and Zhanjiang North Station, ending the history of no direct high-speed rail between Huaihua and Zhanjiang of Guangdong province, and establishing a fast connection between Huaihua and southwest of Guizhou province, thus creating a convenient bridge for cultural and tourism exchanges and personnel travel between these regions. The journey from Huaihua South Station to Xingyi South Station takes only 3 hours and 46 minutes, while the trip to Zhanjiang North Station is completed in 6 hours and 27 minutes, achieving rapid connectivity between inland cities to a coastal one.
In addition to the two lines, some other cross-regional high-speed trains have been added simultaneously, further expanding the transportation coverage of Huaihua. The G2374/5 and G2373/6 trains from Fuzhou South Station to Chongqing East Station connect the core cities of Fujian province, Chongqing city, and Hunan province, with a total travel time of 10 hours and 47 minutes; The G6167/8 high-speed railway from Zhangjiajie West Station to Guangzhou South Station will increase the capacity of the Hunan-Guangdong corridor; Multiple high-speed trains have also been launched from Chongqing East Station to Hangzhou East Station, Shanghai South Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Station, etc., closely connecting the core city clusters of the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions, providing more flexible choices for business travel and cross provincial tourism.
This train operation adjustment further strengthens Huaihua's position as a national comprehensive transportation hub, improving its high-speed rail layout of "connecting east and west, linking south and north", which not only facilitates public travel, but also helps Huaihua integrate into the development of the national core city cluster, thus promoting the integration of culture and tourism and coordinated economic development in the Hunan-Guizhou border area and Wuling Mountain area, and injecting transportation momentum into the high-quality development of the region.
The railway department stated that tickets for the newly added trains have been fully available for sale through the 12306 official website, app, and station ticket windows. Passengers can purchase tickets of their preferred trains in advance according to their itinerary. From now on, the railway department would closely monitor changes in passenger flow and dynamically adjust train operation, so as to provide more efficient and caring services to every passenger.
(Translated by Chen Min)