BEIJING/SHIJIAZHUANG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- High-speed trains Thursday started running between Beijing and Xiongan New Area, a new development area southwest of the capital, railway authorities said.
Two bullet trains will run daily between Beijing South Railway Station and Baoding, Hebei Province, near Xiongan New Area. A one-way 190-km trip takes 80 minutes.
The first train left Beijing South at 8:08 a.m., with about 270 passengers onboard, half of the train's capacity, said Yu Lan, the train conductor.
"In the past when I go home in Baoding from Beijing, I had to take a detour in Tianjin," said Wei Xian, a passenger who travels between Baoding and Beijing every week. "Now with direct trains, it will be much easier."
China announced plans to establish Xiongan New Area in April. Located some 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing, it will cover Hebei's Xiongxian, Rongcheng, and Anxin counties.
