China launched World’s Longest High-Speed Rail Route
Averaging speeds of up to 186 m.p.h. (300 km/h), the 1,425-mile (2,293 km) route now takes eight hours to complete; previously, the journey would take about 22 hours by train. (It will also be making stops in other cities en route, including Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Changsha.)
According to reports by China’s state-run media and Agence France-Presse, Dec. 26 was chosen as the date for the train’s maiden voyage to commemorate the birthday of Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China.
The new bullet train will serve as an important link between China’s political center and its dynamic southern provinces, as well as with Hong Kong, the former British colony and global financial hub located just two hours from Guangzhou by commuter rail. It will also help link China’s northern factories to the important southern port of Shenzhen: with more passengers opting for high-speed rail, the thinking goes, older lines can be devoted to freight that would otherwise travel more slowly and expensively by truck.