Abstract: First, statistics are made on the operation lines and mileage of urban rail transit in China. The results show that: As of December 31, 2024, there were 61 cities with rail transit in China, with a total operating mileage of about 11 949.7 km (58 cities with a total operating mileage of 11 773.5 km if the electronic guide rubber-tyred system is not included), mainly in metro system, while low-capacity systems show a multi-mode development pattern. Then, statistics were made on the approval of new urban rail transit construction planning in China. The results show that China continues to hold a prudent attitude towards urban rail transit construction. Finally, the development characteristics of China′s urban rail transit industry are analyzed, and it is believed that China (1) pays more attention to network convergence, renewal, and reconstruction of existing lines and low-carbon construction; (2) implements the concept of new quality productive forces, and take convenience, efficiency, safety, green development, and cost-effectiveness as the guiding principles for technical development; (3) plans and constructs low-capacity rail transit according to local conditions to improve investment benefits; and (4) promotes the integrated development of rail transit and low-altitude economy, which is mainly reflected in the use of UAVs for patrol inspection recently.

Key words: rail transit, operation lines, statistics, development analysis