Shanghai-Kunming high-speed rail in full operation
TECH & SCI
By Meng Yaping

2016-12-28 21:25 GMT+8

2092km to Beijing

A major national high-speed railway line, Shanghai-Kunming high-speed rail linking China's coastal and inland areas, has been put into operation on Wednesday. 
The Shanghai-Kunming line, 2,252 km in length, traverses the five Provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan and cuts travel time from Shanghai to Kunming from 34 to 11 hours, according to China Railway Corporation. 
The G4136 train is ready to leave the Kunmingnan Railway Station in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, December 28, 2016. /CFP Photo
The maximum speed is 330 km per hour, said Wang Jinda, a train driver. The line is also the longest east-west high-speed railway in China. A longer rail line stretching north to south is the 2,298-km Beijing-Guangzhou line, operated in 2012. 
China has built more than 20,000 km of high-speed rail lines. According to the government's plan, the mileage will increase to 45,000 km by 2030. The launch of the Shanghai-Kunming line means the country's high-speed rail grid has taken shape, connecting almost all provinces on the Chinese mainland. 
An attendant greets the passengers at the Kunmingnan Railway Station in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, December 28, 2016. /Xinhua Photo
The Shanghai-Kunming railway line runs through five provinces and one municipality. It's considered China's longest scenic line for the sights that can be seen on the route. Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces are especially renowned for their tourist sites. 
The Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway is made of three sections: the Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed railway, Hangzhou-Changsha high-speed railway and Changsha-Kunming high-speed railway. 
People wave as a bullet train is leaving the Kunmingnan Railway Station in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, December 28, 2016. /Xinhua Photo
The high-speed rail connects dozens of tourist destinations, including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Changsha, Guiyang and Kunming. 
(Source: China Daily) 

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