Length of Beijing-HK rail network same as Equator

Fast and convenient: Passengers on board a high speed train from Beijing to Shanghai. —AP

BEIJING: THE Anqing-Jiujiang section of the planned Beijing-Hong Kong high-speed railway started operation on Thursday, bringing the total length of high-speed railway network in China to more than 40,000 kilometers – equivalent to the length of the equator.

Linking Anqing in Anhui province with Jiujiang in Jiangxi province, the new section started trial runs on Dec 1.

The 176-km line, with seven stations along its route, will reduce travel time between Anhui’s capital Hefei and Jiangxi’s capital Nanchang to two hours and 22 minutes, according to China Railway Shanghai Group.

The Anqing-Jiujiang high-speed railway has a design speed of 350 km per hour and is a section of China’s planned vertical artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong high-speed railway.

There were five pairs of trains plying the railway on its first day of operation, and the number will increase to 24 pairs per day starting Jan 10.

The new line passes populated areas with abundant tourism resources, including Lushan Mountain in Jiujiang, and will greatly facilitate the travel of people along the route, said the company.

The operation of the new section means the country’s total railway network stretches over 150,000 km.

China has more high-speed rail tracks than anywhere else in the world. It has built a high-speed railway network accounting for nearly 70 percent of the world total.

There are 6.5 million passenger trips handled per day. — Xinhua