A new high-speed train from Shanghai to Kunming in Yunnan Province is set to open next month. The 2,300km journey will take just nine hours.
Currently, the only direct railway link between the two cities takes 35-40 hours. The new 350km/h train, set to open at the end of December, will cut that journey time by nearly two-thirds.
The new train will also cut travel times from Hangzhou to 8 hours, Nanchang to 5.5 hours and Changsha to 4 hours. It will also allow travelers to make weekend trips from neighboring provinces, such as Sichuan.
Tickets for the new Shanghai-Kunming high-speed train are expected to cost RMB700-750.
The Shanghai-Kunming high-speed train will travel through scenic places, such as Guizhou.
To celebrate the opening of the line, Yunnan's tourism industry is also offering heavy discounts to budget travelers. Passengers who use the new train within a month of the grand opening will be eligible for hotel discounts of up to 50 percent, while tickets for scenic attractions will be half off when you present your Shanghai-Kunming high-speed train ticket.
The line is already open up from Shanghai to Guizhou, and passes through Hangzhou, Yiwu, Nanchang and Changsha.
A section of the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed train near Guizhou.
Kunming tourism authorities expect the new train to increase travelers to the city by 10 to 20 percent.
China currently has the largest high-speed rail network in the world with more than 20,000km of track. It continues to grow at breakneck speed, and is set to be at 45,000km by 2030.
[Images via People's Daily]
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