Waterways
Hubei is one of China's most developed provinces in terms of inland water transportation. With the Yangtze and Hanjiang rivers as the two major waterways, over half of the province's counties and cities are located along water transport lines. The Yangtze River is the most important inland waterway open for navigation all year round. The ports of Wuhan, Huangshi, Shashi and Yichang are all open to foreign ships, with the Wuhan Port being one of the largest of its kind on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It has opened freight shipping lines to Hong Kong, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Hanjiang River is an important waterway linking northwest Hubei with the Jianghan Plain. Xiangfan and Laohekou are major ports on the Hanjiang River.
Railways
One of the busiest transport lines in China, the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway runs through east Hubei, making the volume of transit goods far exceed the amount of goods loaded and unloaded within the province. Goods transported are mainly coal, iron and steel and products, timber, grain, minerals and building materials. The Jiaozuo (Henan)-Zhicheng (Hubei) and Zhicheng (Hubei)-Liuzhou (Guangxi) railways traverse west Hubei, while the Wuhan-Danjiang Railway passes through the central part of Hubei and the Xiangfan (Hubei)-Chongqing Railway cuts through the mountainous area of northwest Hubei, with Wuhan and Xiangfan being the intersecting stations. Combined, they form the province's land transportation network. The Xiangfan-Daxian section of the Xiangfan-Chongqing Railway is the third electrified rail line in China.
Highways
By the end of 2000, traffic mileage in Hubei had reached 57,800 km, with graded roads stretching 48,063 km. All towns and townships are linked by roads and 91 percent of villages are accessible to vehicles. Between 2001-05, the province will build 1,000 km more expressways, 4,609 km first- and second-class highways, and 10 bridges on the Yangtze and Hanjiang rivers. Traffic mileage will reach 65,000 km, with graded roads accounting for 91 percent.
Airways
By 2000, there were four airline companies, five civil airports and one airport for both military and civilian purposes. There are 107 domestic and international air routes linking Hubei with 57 Chinese cities and foreign countries and regions. The Tianhe Airport in Wuhan is one of the 10 largest airports in China. Designed as 4E-class national civil airport, it is the largest modern airport with the most complete functions in central China.
