Rails expand high-speed network

Two new railways will open on Thursday, expanding China's high-speed railway network to 24,000 kilometers.

According to China Railway Corp, the national rail operator, a bullet train linking Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, and Jinan, capital of Shandong province, will be put into operation on Thursday.

The new railway stretches 298 km and has 10 stations. Trains will initially operate at a speed of 250 km/h, reducing the travel time between the cities to two hours and nine minutes, down from three hours and 47 minutes.