Travel times between major cities would be slashed by up to half as the trains ran at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour, said Hu Yadong, Vice Minister of Railways. Currently, express trains travel at an average of 115 kilometers per hour.

Before the first speed boost in 1997, trains could travel at a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour.

The development of the new trains has put airlines under pressure.

The average travel time by air betweenBeijingand Shenyang, capital city of northeast China'sLiaoningProvince, more than 800kilometers away, is four hours, including check-in time, security checks and travel into the downtown area from the airport on the outskirts of the city.

But now, the train also takes four hours at a cost of 218 yuan (US$28). A flight costs 700 yuan (US$90).

Airlines have not announced any price cuts but a spokesman from the north China branch ofChina Southern Airlinessaid that they would respond to the railway speed lift by improving service quality and ensuring the punctuality. "We will not engage in price competition," said the man on a condition of anonymity.

Experts have also warned people living near to railways to be careful when high-speed trains pass. "When a train whistles by at 56 meters per second, it generates an air current as strong as a gale and a person standing too close to the line can be "sucked in" by the train," said Dai Shile, an engineer with the Zhengzhou Railway Bureau.