Datong-Zhangjiakou railway construction committee meeting in Datong, on Aug 13. [Photo by Zhang Zhanbing/dtnews.cn]  

Work on a high-speed railway line that is part of a network that will help the economic development of West, Central, and East China and benefit tourism and rich cultural and historical sites there is set to start by the end of this year.

The line will connect the cities of Datong, Shanxi province and Zhangjiakou, Hebei province both in northern China, as part of the planned Beijing-Zhangjiakou intercity railway line and another line now on trial from Datong to Xi'an, Shaanxi province linking East and West China, which will help Datong and other cities considered part of Beijing's economic circle.

The Datong-Zhangjiakou line is 137 kilometers long, with the largest part of it in Shanxi province, and is designed for speeds of up to 250 km per hour, with an estimated of 18 billion yuan ($3 billion).

The Datong committee that is responsible for the project has held seminars on the construction work since it is currently the city's No 1 project, with mayor and Party leaders all part of the coordination group. They are now picking the construction team and doing environmental studies, layout, and risk assessments.