Video shows light rail system in China’s Chongqing, not Japanese train tracks

A video compilation of train tracks switching has been shared more than a thousand times alongside the false claim it showed rail technology in Japan. But the clips showed rail infrastructure in southwestern China’s Chongqing.

The 22-second clip of trains running through various urban areas as the tracks are switched automatically was shared here on X on December 4, 2024.

“Japanese Urban Railways,” the post read.

The same compilation was shared elsewhere on X, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

But reverse image searches on Google led to an X post on June 29, 2024 that shared the same video, which stated it showed train tracks in Chongqing, in southwest China’s Sichuan province (archived link).

Subsequent keyword searches on TikTok sister app Douyin found a similar video of the train tracks switching posted by an account run by Chinese state media BRTV, titled “the amazing Chongqing light rail” (archived link).

AFP was able to geolocate the clip at the video’s nine-second mark to Chongqing, based on a sign that read “Fuqiang hotel”, seen in the background of the footage.

Further keyword searches found the tracks are located near the Tangrui Fuqiang Hotel in Chongqing’s Jiulongpo district (archived link).

The exterior of the hotel, along with an orange-coloured building, can be seen on a photo posted to travel site Trip (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the photo of the hotel on Trip (right), with corresponding elements marked by AFP:

AFP also geolocated a building with a wavy roof seen at the clip’s 19-second mark to the Bijin station, near Chongqing’s Jiangbei International Airport (archived link).

The layout of the train tracks seen in the footage correspond to those near the airport, which can be seen on Google Earth (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left), the train tracks seen on Google Earth (centre), and the airport building seen on Baidu Maps’ street view (right), with corresponding elements marked by AFP:

Other clips in the video showed features such as paintwork and advertising that correspond to those used in Chongqing, which can be seen on travel sites, industry reports and videos about the city’s light rail network (archived links here, here and here).