BEIJING, Sep 28 – China’s first cross-sea high-speed railway linking Fuzhou and Xiamen started operation in Fujian province on Thursday, marking another milestone for the country’s rail technology development.
At 9:15 am, 543 passengers got on the Fuxing bullet train G9810 from Fuzhounan Railway Station in Fuzhou city, and arrived at the coastal Xiamen at 10:16 am.
The train ran at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour in a length of 277.4 kilometers, passing multiple mountains, gulfs and cross-sea bridges. It’s a major breakthrough in rail traffic above deep sea, boosting tourism, regional economy and high-quality development of China’s transport industry, experts said.
There will be 16 train trips on the railway daily during the initial stage and, in the fourth quarter of the year, the number could reach a maximum 124 trips, according to Yang Bin, deputy director of the passenger transport department of China Railway Nanchang Group.
“The rail will link Fuzhou and Xiamen in just 55 minutes, to offer residents in both cities a ‘one-hour living circle’,” he added.
The provincial Fuzhou city and popular tourism hot spot Xiamen play an important role in socio-economic development of Fujian province, expecting to benefit 30 million people.
Chen Xianjun paid 126 yuan for a second-class seat on the train on Thursday morning. He said he is excited to be one of the first passengers to take the train after following related news for years.
“It’ll be very convenient to travel between Fuzhou and Xiamen for me,” he said, adding that he plans to spend the upcoming National Day holiday in Xiamen.
