Economy
Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed rail to begin operations Tuesday
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-23 10:29
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SHANGHAI - A new high-speed rail line connecting Shanghai and Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, will begin operations Tuesday, railway authorities said Friday.
Forty-five of the 50 high-speed trains to ply the route will travel between Shanghai's Hongqiao Station and Hangzhou Station. The other five will connect Shanghai Station and Hangzhou.
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The new service will shorten the travel time between Hongqiao and Hangzhou from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes.
Total investment in the 202-km-long Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed line totaled 29.29 billion yuan ($4.4 billion).
Construction on the line began in February 2009.
Tickets for the service began selling Friday. A first-class ticket on the Hongqiao to Hangzhou line costs 131 yuan while a second-class ticket costs 82 yuan.
China is rapidly improving its railway system amid increased pressures on its transportation system.
By 2012, the country plans to have built 42 high-speed passenger rail lines with total track length of 13,000 kilometers.