World's fastest cold terrain rail link rolling
Source: Xinhua |
December 2, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE world's fastest railway link in areas with extremely low temperatures went into service yesterday in three provinces in northeastern China, to help revitalize this old industrial base.
Four trains departed from stations in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, Changchun, capital of Jilin, Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, and Liaoning port city Dalian, simultaneously at 9am to open the 921-kilometer line.
The high-speed network, carrying trains traveling at up to 350km per hour, went into service after passing a two-month test during which the region saw blizzards and temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
"The operation of the Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway signals great progress in the building of a high-speed rail network, with four lines running vertically up and down the country and four horizontally across the country," said Lu Chunfang, vice minister of railways.
China has 8,600km of high-speed railway, more than any other nation.
A total of 134 trains will operate on the new Harbin-Dalian line. The longest journey, between Harbin and Dalian, takes three hours, with the train running at an average of 300km per hour.
Trains will run between Shenyang and Harbin hourly and between Shenyang and Dalian at 30-minute intervals.
The first CRH380B train to leave Shenyang North Station was fully loaded with 500 passengers.
Train enthusiast Zhan Hongge said he was making the trip as it was a historic occasion.
"The Harbin-Dalian Railway was first built by the Russians and Japanese 100 years ago, and used as their colonial tool to control northeast China.
"Today, the operation of China's independently developed high-speed railway is a testimony to the nation's revival," he said.
The high-speed rail track runs parallel with the old line, on which 210 services will still travel daily.
Fares for the high-speed railway, although higher than regular trains on the old line, are much lower than for cross-province coaches, said officials.
The line is expected to boost the "industrial corridor" linking the heavy chemical industry in Heilongjiang, automobile manufacturing in Jilin and the heavy machinery base in Liaoning, as well as the sea outlet of Dalian.
Travel agencies also hope the new line will bring more winter tourism.
The Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed link opens next month.
China aims to have 18,000km of high-speed railway by 2015.
Four trains departed from stations in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, Changchun, capital of Jilin, Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, and Liaoning port city Dalian, simultaneously at 9am to open the 921-kilometer line.
The high-speed network, carrying trains traveling at up to 350km per hour, went into service after passing a two-month test during which the region saw blizzards and temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
"The operation of the Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway signals great progress in the building of a high-speed rail network, with four lines running vertically up and down the country and four horizontally across the country," said Lu Chunfang, vice minister of railways.
China has 8,600km of high-speed railway, more than any other nation.
A total of 134 trains will operate on the new Harbin-Dalian line. The longest journey, between Harbin and Dalian, takes three hours, with the train running at an average of 300km per hour.
Trains will run between Shenyang and Harbin hourly and between Shenyang and Dalian at 30-minute intervals.
The first CRH380B train to leave Shenyang North Station was fully loaded with 500 passengers.
Train enthusiast Zhan Hongge said he was making the trip as it was a historic occasion.
"The Harbin-Dalian Railway was first built by the Russians and Japanese 100 years ago, and used as their colonial tool to control northeast China.
"Today, the operation of China's independently developed high-speed railway is a testimony to the nation's revival," he said.
The high-speed rail track runs parallel with the old line, on which 210 services will still travel daily.
Fares for the high-speed railway, although higher than regular trains on the old line, are much lower than for cross-province coaches, said officials.
The line is expected to boost the "industrial corridor" linking the heavy chemical industry in Heilongjiang, automobile manufacturing in Jilin and the heavy machinery base in Liaoning, as well as the sea outlet of Dalian.
Travel agencies also hope the new line will bring more winter tourism.
The Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed link opens next month.
China aims to have 18,000km of high-speed railway by 2015.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
