[1] To improve connections between Fuzhou and Zhejiang, the government is proposing to build a faster parallel passenger dedicated line called the Wenzhou–Fuzhou high-speed railway.

Historically, the southeast coastal region relied on maritime transportation, and rugged terrain made railway construction more expensive.

During the Cold War, the southeast coast faced the threat of invasion from Republic of China on Taiwan and all railways were built inland.

Only when political tensions across the Taiwan Strait eased in the late 1990s did planning of the Wenzhou–Fuzhou railway take place.

In October 2002, the project was initially approved by the National Development and Reform Commission as a single-track railway at the 140 km/h (87 mph) standard.