New high-speed rail line connects Guangzhou, Shanwei

"The opening will help promote the transfer of industries from the core area of the Pearl River Delta to cities along the line, accelerating the improvement of the industrial shortcomings of the area," said Jin Yibing, a high-speed railway economic researcher and associate professor at the Guangdong Railway Party School.

Shanwei, Huizhou and other cities along the line, are expected to become popular tourist destinations and attract a large number of visitors, Jin said.

Tickets for the new railway line went up for sale on Sunday. As of Monday afternoon, the railway department had sold 182,000 tickets.