Has there been any progress on establishing high-speed rail links with other cities such as Lijiang, Chengdu or Chongqing? I heard 5 years ago that high speed rail was supposed to come, but I've heard nothing since.
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High-Speed Rail
The high speed rail should connect with Shanghai in 2016. I am not sure if it goes through Chengdu or Chongqing.
Final part of the link, Kunming to Changsha should open next year. No direct line to Chengdu or Chongqing but it will branch off to both places.
There is Guiyang to Guangzhou. 4hours but mostly sold out.
Kunming to Nanning in 2016.
The Nanning to Guangzhou high speed line is already completed and in use.
The Nanning Guangzhou HST opened on Boxing Day last year.
There are at least two HSTs to Shenzhen every day now, from Nanning. It makes for cheap and easy access to HK. If you do have to change at Guangzhou, there are HS trains to Shenzhen every 20 minutes or so.
The link posted by Hotwater gave me sufficient info to do a search that answered part of my own question.
The Kunming to Chongqing high speed rail line is "scheduled" to begin construction in 2016 and into operation in 2022. That means it should be in place in about 15 years.