The history of China's railway transport

Editor's note:

China's railway network had topped 103,000 kilometers in total mileage by the end of 2013 after several new railway links started operations, according to China Railway Corporation. Currently, China boasts the world's largest railway network.

The nation has certainly come a long way from opening up its very first railway in 1876 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The following set of pictures showcase the epitome of Chinese railway transport history, from 1876 right up to 1997. It also reveals the major social changes the country has gone through and the daily circumstances in which the Chinese people have found themselves over the course of more than one century. 

The 14.5-km-spanning Wusong-Shanghai Railway is China's first railway. It was built by British businessmen in 1876 and bought back by the Qing Dynasty government in 1877. However, this railway was pulled down by the authorities 16 months after it opened to traffic, with its rails sitting abandoned by the seaside. [File photo]