Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway opens

The high-speed railway line linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei province became operational on Monday morning. 

On Dec. 30, 2019, a high-speed train is ready to depart from Qinghe Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]

With a designed top speed of 350 km/h, the new service will cut the travel time between the two cities from over three hours to less than one hour. 

The 174km-long line has two starting stations in the capital -- Beijing North and Qinghe. In total there are 10 stations along the route, namely, Beijing North, Qinghe, Shahe, Changping, Badaling Great Wall, Donghuayuan North, Huailai, Xiahuayuan North, Xuanhua North and Zhangjiakou.

The smart high-speed railway line highlights cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous operation, intelligent fault diagnosis, Beidou satellite navigation and smart passenger services. 

It is a major project for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will be co-hosted by Beijing and Zhangjiakou. It is also expected to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. 

Construction of the line started in April 2016. 

This year marks the 110th anniversary of the completion of the old Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Line.