The services provide high-speed train connections between Beijing, the capital of China, and Shanghai, the economic center and largest city of the country.

On 18 April 2008, one year after the introduction of D-series trains, the Beijing–Shanghai HSR commenced construction.

The HSR was inaugurated on 30 June 2011, with the faster G-series trains started operation on it.

The day-time D-series trains were finally withdrawn from the service on 10 December 2014, with the D316 being upgraded to G412.

On 26 June 2017, the China Standardized Fuxing EMUs made the debut commercial operation on this service.