Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway to go into service Monday

Photo taken on Dec. 28, 2019 shows the automatic ticketing office of the Badaling Changcheng Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China. The high-speed railway line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei Province will go into service on Monday, China Railway Corporation said Saturday. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The high-speed railway line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei Province will go into service on Monday, China Railway Corporation said Saturday.

The railway line is a major project for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It will reduce the travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the co-host city of the 2022 Olympics, from currently over three hours to 47 minutes.

The railway is 174 km long, with a maximum design speed of 350 kph.

Ten stations are along the railway line, namely Beijing North, Qinghe, Shahe, Changping, Badaling, Donghuayuan North, Huailai, Xiahuayuan North, Xuanhua North and Zhangjiakou.

Chongli railway, a branch line of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, will also come into service on Monday. It is 53 km long, with a maximum design speed of 250 kph.

Construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway began in the first half of 2016. The railway underwent test runs earlier this month.