Before the opening of the special train, passengers from Zhangjiajie West and Huaihua South Railway Stations could only take the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway to Changsha South Railway Station, or take the Huaihua-Hengyang Railway to Hengyang East Railway Station for transfer.
After the route opened, it passes through multiple economic circles, such as Jishou East Railway Station, Fenghuang Ancient Town, Dongkou and Shaoyang. The whole journey takes 6.5 hours, which helps to connect Hunan and Hong Kong in both business and tourism.
Western Hunan is a strategic hub connecting the east and west region as well as the Yangtze River and the South China Economic Zone. It has abundant natural resources and profound cultural heritage. Zhangjiajie (a world natural heritage site), mysterious Xiangxi, Fenghuang Ancient Town (the most beautiful ancient city in China) Furong Town (a town hanging on a waterfall), and Langshan Mountain (a Danxia landform museum) are famous tourist attractions in Western Hunan. The new railway will connect these scattered attractions, providing tourists with a one-stop travel experience.
Since the beginning of this year, there has been a surge in domestic and foreign tourists in Western Hunan, with Hong Kong an important tourist source market and a major source of foreign investment.