Sustainable development of high-speed railway to green railway construction in China: practice, countermeasure and prospects

Purpose This study reviews green high-speed railway (HSR) development in China from a full-life-cycle perspective, focusing on key environmental practices, challenges and future priorities. Design/methodology/approach A structured review of peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, industry standards and railway-sector reports is conducted across six dimensions: land use and biodiversity, embodied carbon, operational energy and emissions, noise and vibration, water and soil environment, and solid-waste management. Findings China has made progress in route optimization, ecological mitigation, prefabricated construction, noise control and environmental monitoring. However, evidence remains fragmented regarding life-cycle trade-offs, project-level indicator application and waste-treatment technology selection. Existing green railway indicator systems require clearer definitions, data support, weighting methods, thresholds and empirical validation. For station and on-board waste, source reduction, separation and recycling should be prioritized, while refuse-derived fuel, pyrolysis and gasification require site-specific feasibility and life-cycle assessment. Originality/value This study integrates environmental impacts, policy frameworks and waste-management strategies into a full-life-cycle evidence framework, highlighting key methodological, data and governance priorities for future green HSR research and practice.