BEIJING, Sept. 28 -- China, home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, opened four major high-speed railway sections to traffic on Monday, improving transport links across several regions.
The new sections connect Xiong'an in Hebei Province with Shangqiu in Henan Province, Xi'an with Ankang in Shaanxi Province, Yichang with Xingshan in Hubei Province, and Harbin with Yichun in Heilongjiang Province.
Spanning northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China, the new lines will facilitate travel for residents, improve regional connectivity and support economic development.
In north China, the Xiong'an-Shangqiu section runs through Xiong'an New Area, Cangzhou, Hengshui and Xingtai in Hebei Province, Liaocheng in Shandong Province, Puyang in Henan Province, and Jining and Heze in Shandong Province before reaching Shangqiu in Henan Province, with the main line measuring 552 kilometers long.
"Once the section begins operations, the fastest journey from Xiong'an to Shangqiu will take just 2 hours and 27 minutes," said Han Yong, deputy director of the passenger transport center of China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd., adding that the route will further strengthen communications between Xiong'an New Area and China's vast northern and central markets. (....)