It was previously connected with Hong Kong's East Rail line across the border.

All services south of Shenzhen were discontinued in July 2020, citing high-speed rail as a result.

It was opened on 1 September 1996, connecting Beijing and Shenzhen (and thereupon with Kowloon through the KCR East Rail) through Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangxi and Guangdong, with a length of 2,397 kilometres (1,489 mi).

The idea had been proposed for a long time, and some of the sections, such as the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge, were built before construction of the whole line officially began.

Within Hong Kong, it shares the same pair of tracks with the East Rail line (formerly British section of the Kowloon–Canton railway).