Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration to get a push

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is stepping up efforts to build a more tightly connected transport network as local governments roll out new rail services and ambitious infrastructure plans aimed at easing cross-border commuting and boosting regional integration.

The push was underscored on Monday as Hebei province and Tianjin held their annual legislative sessions, outlining measures to deepen coordination across one of China's key economic regions.

A concrete step came the same day with the launch of direct high-speed trains between Beijing West Railway Station and Baiyangdian in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei.

Timed for peak commuter hours, the morning and evening services take just over an hour, strengthening links between the capital and the emerging development zone.

In Hebei, Governor Wang Zhengpu said in his government work report that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30) the province would expand both the scope and depth of coordinated development with Beijing and Tianjin, with a focus on accelerating transport interconnection and jointly building world-class airport and port clusters.

Hebei plans to integrate more deeply into the regional airport network, targeting an annual passenger throughput of 29.8 million trips and cargo and mail volumes of 249,000 metric tons, according to Wang Tianyong, deputy head of the provincial transport department.

The province also aims to strengthen its role in the Tianjin-Hebei port cluster, with planned port capacity reaching 1.35 billion tons to support modern, multifunctional ports.

Efforts will also be intensified this year to accelerate construction of the Xiong'an-Xinzhou (Shanxi province) railway and the Shijiazhuang-Xiong'an railway, and to complete and put into operation the Xiong'an-Shangqiu (Henan province) high-speed railway, according to Hebei's report.

Road connectivity is set to expand as well. This year, Hebei plans to advance 11 major highway projects with links to Beijing and Tianjin and begin construction on five projects, including expansion of the Tangshan-Tianjin expressway, Wang Tianyong said.

The enhanced transport links are expected to support closer industrial coordination.

Wan Shiqiang, a national political adviser and professor at Hebei University, told China Daily that the region should leverage its advantages to identify key industrial chains.

"Supporting leading firms in integrating resources will foster a more clustered and efficient regional industrial pattern," Wan said.

Similar priorities were outlined in Tianjin. In the city's government work report, Mayor Zhang Gong said Tianjin would accelerate rail connectivity to proactively join the "Beijing Commuting Circle", moving cooperation beyond basic transport links toward deeper industrial and functional integration.

A proposed rail transit extension would connect Tongzhou in Beijing with Wuqing in Tianjin and Langfang in Hebei, making cross-border commuting easier and facilitating the movement of residents across the region.

Tianjin also aims to position itself as a combined transport, industry and urban hub, promoting models such as "work in Beijing, live in Tianjin", while encouraging Beijing-based businesses to expand locally.

Several rail hub districts — including areas around Tianjin West, Tianjin South, Binhai and Wuqing stations — are set to be developed into service-oriented clusters offering integrated support for employment, housing and education, in a bid to attract professionals and companies, the report said.

"The interconnection of transportation infrastructure is a necessary condition for advancing coordinated regional development, and it will profoundly influence the regional development pattern as well as the quality and effectiveness of regional coordinated development," said Li Lanbing, director of the Strategic Development Department and researcher at the College of Economic and Social Development, Nankai University.

Since the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was elevated to a major national regional strategy, transportation integration has played a prominent leading and exemplary role as a pioneering field in this coordinated development, Li said.

"Effective measures to advance transportation integration will provide strong support for coordinated development in regional industries, regional innovation, and regional spatial development. This will offer powerful assurance for promoting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to become a pioneering and demonstration zone in the construction of Chinese-style modernization," she said.

Contact the writers at zhangyu1@chinadaily.com.cn