Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    THE high-speed train service between Shenzhen and Hefei in Anhui Province will be officially put into operation today, according to the new national train operation schedule that took effect yesterday.

    The train, which runs along the Hangzhou-Shenzhen line, will depart from Shenzhen North Railway Station at 9:07 a.m. and arrive at Hefei South Railway Station at 10:56 p.m., covering a distance of 1,877 kilometers.

    The fare for an economy-class seat is 571.5 yuan (US$91) and for first-class 736 yuan.

    The whole trip takes less than 14 hours, seven hours shorter than by regular trains.

    Also, passengers from Shenzhen will soon be able to take high-speed trains to Huaihua in the western mountainous area of Hunan starting Dec. 26. It will take four hours and 40 minutes to travel between Huaihua and Guangzhou, about five hours quicker than regular trains.

    After the opening of the Guizhou-Guangzhou and Nanning-Guangzhou high-speed rails at the end of the year, the operator, Guangzhou Railway Group Corp., will arrange for three pairs of trains linking Guilin and Shenzhen, and one pair of trains linking Nanning and Shenzhen.

    The trip from Shenzhen to Guilin will be cut from 13 hours to 4 hours. The trip to Nanning will shave off 4.5 hours. There won’t be direct trains from Shenzhen to Nanning and Guizhou. Passengers to Nanning and Guizhou need to change trains at Guangzhou South Railway Station. The operator announced that it would operate direct trains between Shenzhen and Nanning during the 2015 Spring Festival.

    The operator will arrange for 18 pairs of trains, including 12 pairs between Guangzhou and Nanning, two pairs with Liuzhou and four with Beihai.