The Chongqing-Xiamen High-speed Railway Changde-Yiyang section opens to traffic on December 26, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. Hence, the entire high-speed rail line from Changde to Changsha is opened and the travel time between the two places is shortened to 59 minutes. 

The Chongqing-Xiamen High-speed Railway Changde-Changsha section is 154 km long, with a designed speed of 350 km per hour. It was constructed and opened to traffic in sections. 

The 63-km section from Yiyang to Changsha was already put into operation in September 2022, with three stations, namely, Yiyang South, Ningxiang West, and Changsha West.

The 91-km section from Changde to Yiyang opened this time started construction in June 2019. It passes through Changde and Yiyang and joins the Yiyang-Changsha section at the Yiyang South Railway Station. It has three stations -- Changde, Hanshou, and Yiyang South, among which Changde and Yiyang South are the existing stations and Hanshou is a newly-built one.

At the initial stage of operation, the railway authority plans to arrange 29.5 pairs of bullet trains. Bullet trains from Zhangjiajie and Changde to Changsha will run for the first time. The shortest travel time between Zhangjiajie and Changsha, and Changde and Changsha will be 1 hour 52 minutes and 59 minutes respectively.

The Chongqing-Xiamen High-speed Railway Changde-Yiyang section is an integral part of the Chongqing-Xiamen channel of China's "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed rail network. It is connected with the Qianjiang-Zhangjiajie-Changde High-speed Railway, the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Intercity Railway, and several other lines that have been put into operation, and plays a prominent role as a regional liaison line.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn