High-speed railway lines linking Henan, other cities start running

Many cities such as Pingdingshan in Henan province have also been integrated into the country's high-speed railway network thanks to the operation of the high-speed railway, it added.

According to the Development and Reform Commission in Pingdingshan, the city handles more than 1.5 million normal-speed train trips annually but still needs an additional 530,000 high-speed rail trips to meet fast-growing travel needs.

"Pingdingshan is not an isolated case. Although China has built a high-speed rail network that not many countries can rival, it still needs more balanced rail construction to increase accessibility to more of the country," said Zhao Jian, an economics professor of rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University.

The three lines, with a total mileage of more than 1,000 km, are part of continuing efforts to complete a high-speed network of eight east-west lines and eight north-south lines, the company said.

By the end of this year, the total mileage of China's railways in operation is expected to reach 139,000 km. Among the total, high-speed railways will rise to 35,000 km, up from 29,000 km at the end of 2018, according to the company.