Travel time by train between Fuzhou city in Fujian province and Chengdu city in Sichuan province will get a hefty reduction, more than 26 hours, starting on July 1, as high-speed trains will be launched on the route for the first time.
July 1 marks the day when China is to revamp its railway operating schedule. Up to 2,447 passenger trains, 1,330 of which are high-speed, will be running on tracks with a combined length of more than 100,000 kilometers.
The high-speed D2242 will run the Fuzhou-Chengdu in 15 hours and 12 minutes, which reduced the previous travel time by 26 hours and 14 minutes, according to the new schedule.
The adjustment of railway operating schedule is to keep up with market needs as well as the rapid growth of high-speed rail, which have increased to over 10,000 kilometers over five years, since 2008. More than 1,300 high-speed trains have been launched accordingly, figures show.