Oil and gas pipelines serve as the lifeline of national energy security. Amid a series of significant national initiatives, such as China’s new energy security strategy, transportation strength strategy, “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals, and digitalization strategy, conventional pipeline transportation systems fall short in addressing the nation’s critical strategic needs. Therefore, the development of novel modern pipeline transportation systems becomes an urgent imperative. The paper reviewed the development of pipeline transportation systems. Over more than 70 years of development, China’s pipeline transportation industry has evolved from its beginnings marked by “self-reliance and arduous pioneering efforts” to a phase of continuous progress through “technology introduction and enhancement”, ultimately achieving “independent innovation and leapfrog development”. These milestones have been instrumental in establishing China as a major global player in pipeline transportation, fostering a technical system for pipeline engineering construction and operation with Chinese characteristics. These independent and controllable core technologies form a robust groundwork for the construction and development of modern pipeline transportation systems. Aligning with national strategic needs, this paper revealed the characteristics and connotations of modern pipeline transportation systems, emphasizing their features of safety, environmental friendliness, intelligence, integration, and accessibility. The paper analyzed the development trends and key technologies concerning modern pipeline transportation systems, culminating in the design of key tasks, so as to put forward with Chinese blueprint aimed at constructing modern pipeline transportation systems under evolving circumstances.