1. The administrative levels are different. After the split of the Ministry of Railways, the State Railway Administration and China Railway Administration were established. The first State Railway Administration is a vice-ministerial unit, which belongs to the Ministry of Communications, and the second China Railway Corporation is a ministerial unit with a higher level than the State Railway Administration.

2. Different jurisdictions. The State Railway Administration has no jurisdiction and is a separate administrative agency. The state has not sent any relevant institutions to the State Railway Administration, so it has no jurisdiction. However, the jurisdiction of China Railway Corporation is still very large. There are 18 railway bureaus in the railway department, and there are local railway bureaus in many places, such as Beijing Railway Bureau, Nanjing Railway Bureau, Shanghai Railway Bureau, Wuhan Railway Bureau, Guizhou Railway Bureau and Chongqing Railway Bureau, covering a wide range.

3. There are different forms of existence. China Railway Corporation exists as a government department, but it is managed by the transportation department. The State Railway Administration exists in the form of central enterprises, and the management department is the State Council.

4. Different functions and powers. The National Railway Administration is a government agency, which has no real role and no great power. Instead, it plays a regulatory role in society, and supervision has no scope. China Railway Corporation, on the other hand, has the corresponding authority to formulate transportation policies and railway management plans. There is still a big difference between the two.

Legal basis:

People's Republic of China (PRC) Railway Law

Article 2 Railways mentioned in this Law include national railways, local railways, special railways and special railway lines. National Railway refers to the railway managed by the competent department of the State Council Railway. Local railways refer to railways managed by local people's governments. Special railway refers to the railway managed by an enterprise or other unit and providing transportation services for the enterprise or unit. Special railway lines refer to the branch lines managed by enterprises or other units and connected with national railways or other railway lines.