Research purposes: With the sectional implementation of the high-speed railway along the Yangtze River, after the problem of passenger transportation has been effectively solved, the necessity of giving full play to the freight function of the existing railway channel and improving the comprehensive transportation system is further highlighted. In the context of the "three-step" construction of the high-speed railway along the river, this paper calculates the generalized cost based on time value, transportation costs, transshipment times and other elements, predicts railway trend and transfer volumes, and studies the development strategy of railway freight along the Yangtze River in stages, to provide reference for production practice.
Research conclusions: (1) At present, the freight channel along the Yangtze River has the problems of long detour distance and low service efficiency. (2) The Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu Railway should undertake more express trains mainly based on containers on the premise of satisfying passenger services. (3) Under the background of the staged construction of the high-speed railway along the river, the first stage focuses on solving the problems of insufficient freight facilities and poor intermodal connections in the section from Chongqing to Wuhan; The second stage further releases the capacity of the Chongqing-Wuhan section to undertake part of the dam-overturning volume of the Three Gorges; In the third stage, a fast transportation channel along the Yangtze River from Chongqing via Wuhan to Shanghai will be formed. (4) The research results can guide the scientific and rational planning and development of the railway freight passage along the river.