Beijing-Xiong'an high-speed rail line to ease travel

For Yin Jun, valuable time will be saved once the high-speed railway linking Beijing and the Xiong'an New Area in North China's Hebei province enters operation, likely before the end of this month.

Yin is head of a kindergarten in Xiongxian county, one of three counties covered by the area－a new economic zone near Beijing.

She was transferred there in March 2018 from Beijing Liuyi Kindergarten in Haidian district to help improve education quality at Xiongxian Kindergarten, which is now a branch of the Liuyi school.

Located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, Xiong'an was established in April 2017. It will play a key role in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"It takes me four or five hours driving round trip from my home in Haidian district to Xiong'an," Yin said, adding that she usually returns to Beijing at least once a week.

The new railway, with a length of 92.03 kilometers, starts from Beijing West Railway Station, passes Beijing Daxing International Airport and other three stations, and terminates at Xiong'an Railway Station, which was also built after Xiong'an was set up, said China Railway Beijing Group Co.

A one-way journey from Beijing to Xiong'an will take just 35 minutes if trains run at their fastest designed speeds on the new line, Kang Xuedong, deputy chief engineer at China Railway Design Corp, said on Friday.

Currently, there is another rail line connecting Beijing with Xiong'an. It starts from Beijing South Railway Station and goes to Baiyangdian Railway Station in Rongcheng county, another county covered by Xiong'an.

However, for this existing line, a one-way journey from the country's capital to Xiong'an takes about 90 minutes, according to online railway ticket-booking platform 12306.cn.

"Compared with the existing line, the new railway boasts a faster speed and it will be akin to buses, bringing more convenience to passengers. After entering operation, it will greatly promote the coordinated development of the region," Kang said.

Construction of Xiong'an Railway Station, located in Xiongxian county, started in December 2018. With a construction area of 475,200 square meters, it's the first key infrastructure project constructed in Xiong'an. It will enter use together with the new railway.

Yin's workplace at the kindergarten is about 13 km away from the station. "It will greatly shorten the time for me to travel between Beijing and Xiong'an. I am looking forward to its opening," Yin said.