China inaugurated on Thursday a new high-speed railway line linking two eastern cities. The line – connecting Anqing City in Anhui Province and Jiujiang City in Jiangxi Province – stretches the country's high-speed railway network to over 40,000 kilometers – roughly the length of the earth's equator.

It has a maximum speed of 350 km per hour and will reduce travel time between Anhui's capital Hefei and Jiangxi's capital Nanchang to two hours and 22 minutes, says China Railway Shanghai Group Co., Ltd. Seven stations are along the route.

The operation of the new section also connects to China's vertical artery of the Beijing-Hong Kong railway grid.

The line passes populated areas with abundant tourism resources and will facilitate easier travel along the route, said the company.

Five pairs of trains plied the route on the first day, with the number increasing to 24 per day starting from January 10.

(With input from Xinhua)