By Tao Zihui

Chinas railway dates back to the 1880s and since then， the routes in operation have grown to span more than 140，000 km， or 3.5 times the circumference of the Earth. As Chinas railway network is growing and modernizing， so are its stations， which are employing philosophies and cutting-edge technologies to deliver comfort and convenience to travelers.

“When I was in school， we always considered travel physically challenging due to underdeveloped transportation facilities. But now we have managed to turn what was once difficult into an enjoyable experience. As a railway designer， Im very conscious of this change in travel experience，” Zhang Han， associate chief engineer of the China Railway Design Corp. （CRDC）， told Beijing Review. “Our approach now is that the design of railway stations must be guided by the actual needs of the passengers.”

Tao Ran， chief engineer of the CRDC Construction Institute， said that currently a railway station is no longer simply a place where people wait for their trains， which requires designers to pay more attention to its comprehensive functions.

“We need to integrate railway stations with their surrounding buildings and landscape elements to create a livable and businessfriendly environment，” Tao added. He also stressed that the smooth connectivity of railways and other public transit systems such as subways and airport express lines is essential to facilitating a smooth passenger arrival and departure.

Philosophy in practice

Covering an area of approximately 475，200 square meters， or the size of 66 soccer fields， the Xiongan Railway Station in Hebei Province is one of the worlds largest train terminals. As one of the designers of the station， the CRDC gave priority to ensuring passengers move freely and comfortably on a truly massive scale.

One of the goals of the designers was to allow passengers to enter the station and wait only the time they would wait for a cup of coffee before departing. The design of the entire facility revolves around the convenience of passengers as they transfer and wait.

The core planning requirement for the station was integration between high-speed rail and other forms of transportation， including buses， taxis， and urban rail， to allow passengers to transfer without leaving the complex. In addition， a three-dimensional traffic layout means each service occupies a separate area， minimizing disruptions between them.

Located in Xiongan New Area， near Hebeis famously picturesque Baiyangdian Lake， the Xiongan Railway Station is designed to resemble a drop of dew on a lotus leaf. Its oval roof is a photovoltaic power generation system， in keeping with the citys green development drive.