China State Railway Group Co. announced, that the new high-speed railway, connecting national capital and the co-host city of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was launched on Monday.
The 108 mile-long, 10-station high-speed railway line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou in north China’s Hebei Province went into operation today. Several underground tunnels were built on the route so trains can avoid traversing through scenic spots.
With 5G signals, wireless charging and intelligent lighting, first smart train G8811 departed on its maiden trip from Beijing North Railway Station at around 8:30am.
With a maximum design speed of 217.5 m/h, it will reduce the travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou from over three hours to 47 minutes, facilitating inter-city traffic and crucial for the co-host of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Chongli railway, a branch line of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, also went into service Monday. It is 33 mile-long, with a maximum design speed of 155 m/h.
The trains on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line can automatically start and stop, run between stations, open and close doors, as well as handle emergencies. It is the first time for China to have an autonomous high-speed train.
For the athletes, an area for snowboards and other ski equipment is also available on the train. E-ticket services have been launched to enable passengers to use their ID cards or scan QR codes for authentication instead of waiting in line for paper stubs.
