Jinghai Railway Station

Jinghai Railway Station

Jinghai Railway Station is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

Jinghai Railway Station was first built in 1910.

The century-old railway industrial heritage complex of Jinghai Station, the station history room, along with the currently operational modern railway equipment, form an active "railway museum" that narrates the past and present of Jinghai Station.

In December 1907, the Qing court signed a construction loan agreement for the Tianjin–Pukou Railway with British and German banks. In June 1908, construction of the Tianjin–Pukou Railway began. In the same year, the railway was extended to Jinghai, and Jinghai Station was built. The station was designed and constructed by German engineers, featuring only two arrival/departure tracks, one siding track, two passenger platforms, one pedestrian level crossing, one station building, and a row of service buildings. Additionally, there was one Jinghai track maintenance shed located next to the station.

When it was first established, the passenger and freight volume of Jinghai Station was very small, but local specialties such as Duliuzhen aged vinegar and Duliuzhen liquor from Jinghai were able to be loaded onto trains at the station and transported to various parts of the country and even abroad. In 1922, Duliuzhen liquor won a mid-level award at the First Industrial Exposition of Zhili Province.

After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japanese troops occupied Beiping and Tianjin and launched a fierce offensive southward along the Tianjin–Pukou Railway. The National Revolutionary Army, led by Li Wentian, fought against the Japanese in the Jinghai area, covering the retreat of locomotives, rolling stock, and large numbers of refugees who passed through Jinghai Station via the Tianjin–Pukou Railway heading south. Eventually, due to being outnumbered, they withdrew from Jinghai, and the station fell into Japanese hands.

On August 15, 1945, Japan announced unconditional surrender. The Japanese troops stationed at Jinghai Station lined up on the first platform and formally surrendered their weapons to the Chinese anti-Japanese military and civilians.

After Japan's surrender, the Nationalist government launched the civil war before repairing the heavily damaged Tianjin–Pukou Railway, resulting in Jinghai Station ceasing operations from the end of 1945 to February 1949.

After the founding of New China, Jinghai Station experienced significant development.

In 1977, the Tianjin–Pukou double-track railway was completed. By 1987, Jinghai Station had served 408,368 passengers, handled 1.481147 million tons of freight, and averaged 75 wagon loadings and unloadings per day. The station rapidly developed from a minor stop on the Tianjin–Pukou Railway into a third-class station handling both passengers and freight.

Entering the 21st century, Jinghai Station has grown into a second-class station handling both passengers and freight. Station facilities include a waiting room, operation control room, ticket office, baggage room, staff rest area, two passenger platforms, and one underground passenger passage. Operational equipment includes five arrival/departure tracks, four freight tracks, and three dedicated tracks for local factories. Freight facilities consist of two freight platforms, one goods warehouse, 120 cargo spaces, and three large loading/unloading machines. The station can handle passenger, luggage, and freight transportation services to all destinations across the country.

Since the founding of New China, Jinghai Station has undergone several renovations and expansions, yet its original layout remains largely intact. The century-old railway industrial heritage complex has been well preserved, and some movable railway relics have also been carefully maintained. In 2007, Jinghai Station on the Tianjin–Pukou Railway was listed among the top ten immovable cultural relics of Tianjin. In July 2009, it was included in the book "Important New Discoveries of the Third National Cultural Relics Census," compiled by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Tianjin Cultural Relic Protection Units