New trains expand China's railway network

The G7 Fuxing bullet train departs the Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2018. The new longer Fuxing bullet train ran on the Beijing-Shanghai line for the first time on Sunday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new train measures more than 400 meters in length and has 16 carriages, twice as many as current ones. It can carry nearly 1,200 passengers. [Photo/Xinhua]

 A new, longer Fuxing bullet train started running on the Beijing-Shanghai line on Sunday.

With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new train is more than 400 meters long with 16 carriages, twice as many as the current Fuxing. It has 1,193 seats.[page]

Passengers take the G7 new longer Fuxing bullet train from Beijing to Shanghai, July 1, 2018. The new longer Fuxing bullet train ran on the Beijing-Shanghai line for the first time on Sunday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new train measures more than 400 meters in length and has 16 carriages, twice as many as current ones. It can carry nearly 1,200 passengers. [Photo/Xinhua][page]

Stewardesses and travellers pose for pictures on a train in Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua]

Zhao Hongwei, chief engineer with the China Academy of Railway Sciences, said that the longer train is more efficient and has better performance.

Designed and manufactured in China, the Fuxing -- Rejuvenation -- debuted on the Beijing-Shanghai line in June 2017. The trains are more spacious and reliable with a longer service life than previous models.[page]

Travelers get tickets checked at Kunming railway station in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua]

Moreover, a new rail line went into operation in Southwest China's Yunnan province Sunday, linking capital Kunming with Dali, a tourist city known for its scenery.

The first bullet train left Kunming Railway Station at 8:12 am The 328 km line allows trains to run at 200 km per hour, according to China Railway Kunming Group.[page]

Railway staffs pose for pictures at Dali railway station, in Dali city of Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua]

The construction took more than five years. Travel time between Kunming and Dali has been cut from over five hours to less than two hours.

"In the same time it takes to go from downtown Kunming to the suburbs by car, you can arrive in Dali with its fresh air and beautiful scenery," said Liu Mingzhu, a 60-year-old Kunming resident who took the first train on Sunday.
The operation of the railway means the western part of Yunnan, a popular tourist destination, is now linked to the national high-speed railway networks.[page]

Travelers arrive at Dali railway station, in Dali city of Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua][page]

Stewardesses perform on a train in Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua][page]

Stewardesses gesture for pictures at Dali railway station, in Dali city of Southwest China's Yunnan province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328 km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. [Photo/Xinhua]

Editor: John Li