The construction of an express passenger railway which links Beijing with Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei Province, will begin in June and finish in four years.

The National Development and Reform Commission has approved the project, and a ground breaking will be done on June 1, said a source with the city government of Shijiazhuang, adding a special company will be set up to take charge of the construction.

The new line is planned to alleviate transport pressure on the northern end of Beijing-Guangzhou railway, a north-south trunk route, and boost the development of areas around Beijing.

The projected route will stretch 281 km starting from Beijing West Railway Station and ending at Shijiazhuang South Railway Station. Trains can run at a speed of 350 km per hour. Speed in the initial stage can be 300 km per hour.

The new railway will take four years to complete. By that time, the journey from Beijing to Shijiazhuang only lasts about an hour, roughly halving the current travel time.

The investment of 43.87 billion yuan (US$6.01 billion), will be shared by the Ministry of Railways and the governments of Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province.

While addressing a national work conference held in Beijing on Friday, Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun disclosed that the country planned to invest 300 billion yuan (US$41 billion) to lay 7,820 km of railways this year.