STARTING from July 1, eight round-trip high-speed trains will operate on the hour between Shenzhen and Changsha, capital of Central China’s Hunan Province, according to Shenzhen railway authorities.

Currently, the high-speed train journey from Shenzhen North Station to Changsha South Station typically covers a total distance of 809 kilometers, with stops at eight intermediate stations. The standard travel time is three hours and 28 minutes, though this may vary slightly depending on the number of stops made.

At present, trains with shorter travel times between these two stations are predominantly scheduled between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., which somewhat limits the range of departure options for passengers.

Under the new schedule, four trains will depart daily from Shenzhen North Station and Changsha South Station at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m., respectively.

The four trains heading to Changsha from Shenzhen North Station are G6002, G6004, G6006, and G6008. These trains will make a maximum of two stops along the way.

Also starting from July 1, two additional round-trip high-speed sleeper trains will operate between Shenzhen and Taiyuan, capital of North China’s in Shanxi Province, on weekends.

The train D916/7 from Shenzhen North to Taiyuan South will depart at 7:34 p.m. and arrive at 8:15 a.m. the following day. The trip takes 12 hours and 41 minutes.

The train D918/5 from Taiyuan South to Shenzhen North will depart at 6:58 p.m. and arrive at Shenzhen at 7:09 a.m. the following day. The trip takes 12 hours and 11 minutes.

Compared to other high-speed trains on the same route, the second-class seat tickets for the weekend sleeper trains are more than 200 yuan cheaper, while the sleeper berth fares are 240 to 380 yuan less than those of first-class seats. Last June, Shenzhen introduced a direct high-speed train service to Taiyuan.

(Han Ximin)