Key factors that influence the performance of China Railway express operations: case studies of ten lines in China

As more and more China Railway (CR) express lines have opened under the government's 'Belt and Road Initiative', the performance of CR express operations has varied widely. Many CR express lines face problems such as low demand, infrequent departures, and heavy reliance on local government subsidies. In this study, we analysed the key factors that influence the performance of CR express operations through a case study of ten typical CR express lines. We found that local market demand, government incentives, central government policy, infrastructure at the CR express departure stations, and matching the geographical location to the operational mode are the key factors in successful CR express operations. Central government policy can also stimulate local market demand and government incentives can promote infrastructure construction. The key factors that we identified interact, and can jointly increase the performance of CR express.