A high-speed train service will start operation on Monday, linking some of the most northernmost cities in China.

The rail line will link Harbin, the capital of northeast Heilongjiang, with Qiqihaer, Heilongjiang's second largest city.

The service will have 28 trains designed to endure severe cold - up to minus 40 degrees Celsius.

"We have replaced some critical parts of the 5A train with cold-resistant stuffs, such as low-temperature valves and grease. This prevents the train from malfunctioning in cold temperatures," said Huang Lei, deputy head of the Harbin Railway Administration High Speed Train Department's Technology Inspection Division.

Average temperatures for Qiqihaer and Harbin in January are minus 19.2 degrees Celsius and minus 18.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The trains run at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour.

It will cut the travelling time between the two cities from 3 hours to some 85 minutes.

The high-speed train service is expected to transport 8 million passengers per year.

The railway for the new service is also designed to withstand temperature extremes.