BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Tickets for China's new high-speed trains during the weeklong May Day holiday beginning tomorrow have all sold out, said an official with the National Holiday Office.

    Tickets for the new high-speed trains were initially spurned by the public but after rail authorities discounted tickets by up to 40 percent, they began to sell like hot cakes.

    There was particularly strong demand for tickets for May 1, May5 and May 6, said the official.

    "It's not just the high-speed trains that have sold out. Demandis strong right across the national network," said the official.

    All 256 high-speed trains scheduled to debut before July this year have gone into operation, he added.

    China launched high-speed train services on April 18 to reduce journey times by an average of two hours between major cities.

    Fast, stylish, modern trains link Guangzhou with Nanning and Shanghai with Hangzhou. Trains between Beijing and a host of provincial cities are operating at higher speeds.

    The latest "speed boost" will increase the Chinese railway system's passenger handling capacity by 18 percent and its cargo capacity by 12 percent.