The launch of the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway on Friday marked a new milestone for China's rail network, as the country's high-speed rail operating mileage surpassed 50,000 kilometers.

The expanding system enables 1-2 hour travel within 500 km city clusters, same-day round trips across 1,000 km and 8-hour journeys over 2,000 km, reshaping how people move, work and connect across regions.