The first bullet train in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region began operation on August 3rd.
The new Ulanqab – Hohhot railway line has reduced the travelling time from 56 minutes to 39 minutes. The bullet train runs at 250 km/h. Ten bullet train services are scheduled daily. The new 126-km line will be part of a 286.8-km high-speed railway line that will connect Hohhot with Zhangjiakou, co-host of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, in Hebei province.
Last year, China’s high-speed network reached 22,000 km, accounting for 65 percent of the world’s total high-speed rail. According to the plan released by the National Development and Reform Commission in July last year, China will increase the length of high-speed railway to 30,000 km by 2020, connecting 80 percent of the country’s major cities. By 2030, the network is scheduled to connect all cities with populations of more than 500,000.