On July 25, the 281 kilometer Beijing-Shijiazhuang passenger dedicated railway line completed its initial track-laying. The new track lays the foundation for the rail line’s opening by the end of 2012. Upon completion, the dedicated rail line will shorten the travel time from Beijing to Shijiazhuang from two hours to only 55 minutes.

The Beijing-Shijiazhuang passenger dedicated line is an important part of China’s national passenger dedicated lines network. Its completion will form a fast track linking Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

The Beijing-Shijiazhuang passenger dedicated line began construction on October 7, 2008 with seven stops, namely: the Beijing West Railway Station, New Zhuozhou, New Gaobeidian, Baoding East, New Dingzhou, Shijiangzhuang Airport, and the New Shijiazhuang Railway Station. The projected speed of the line is 350 kilometers per hour.