Beijing, July 1(ANI): High-speed trains linking Beijing and Shanghai made their passenger debut on Thursday, extending China's high-speed rail network to nearly 10,000 kilometres.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the opening ceremony at the Beijing South Railway Station and boarded the first train to Shanghai, the China Daily reports.
Jiabao said the high-speed line, built in 38 months and opened to traffic one year ahead of schedule, marked a new chapter in China's railway history.
But railway operators must prioritize safety and improve management, as the line's "safe, scientific, orderly and efficient operation is a challenging task", he added.
Launched on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, the railway started operations with a sleek-nosed white train leaving promptly at 3 p.m. from the station's No 1 platform for Shanghai.
The line, designed for speeds of 350 km/h but running initially at 300 km/h, reduces the travel time by half between Shanghai and Beijing to just four hours and 48 minutes.
"The high-speed train is fast and more comfortable than a plane, as I can move around and it provides sockets for charging my laptop," a passenger and Beijing businesswoman Cheng Yu was quoted, as saying.
The fast link would be able to carry 80 million passengers a year - double the current capacity on the 1,318-kilometer route, and frees up the old line for the transportation of goods.
One-way tickets cost 410 yuan (63 dollars) to 1,750 yuan, subject to the speed and seat category, compared to about 1,300 yuan for a flight.
In response, airlines have slashed some ticket prices by upto 65 percent to 400 yuan, the cost of the cheapest rail pass, according to travel website ctrip.com.
Experts estimate that the high-speed railway would reduce passenger traffic in airlines by 20 to 30 percent. (ANI)
|
|
Read More: South Goa
Comments:
