FROM today, the fastest high-speed rail journey between Shenzhen and Shanghai is cut by 40 minutes, making travel between two of China’s largest economic hubs quicker than ever.

Under China’s third-quarter railway timetable, which takes effect today, the fastest train between Shenzhen North Railway Station and Shanghai Hong-qiao Railway Station will complete the trip in 6 hours and 34 minutes, down from the current 7 hours and 14 minutes.

The shorter journey is made possible by an optimized route, with the G270/G269 service running via sections of the Hangzhou-Nanchang and Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railways, according to China Railway.

The improved schedule is expected to benefit business travelers, tourists and people visiting family by making same-day and short-stay trips between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Yangtze River Delta more convenient.

The timetable update also brings improvements for cross-border travel. An additional 13 train services will stop at both Futian Station and Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, giving passengers more flexibility when traveling between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Within the GBA, railway authorities will introduce 16 additional intercity train pairs between Shenzhen and Foshan. Four new high-speed train services linking Shenzhen and Zhanjiang will also be added to improve connections with western Guangdong.

The new timetable will further strengthen Futian Station’s role as a long-distance rail hub. Two services previously departing from Shenzhen North Railway Station — one to Jingdezhen North and another to Chengdu East — will instead originate from Futian, offering travelers in Shenzhen’s central business district easier access to long-distance rail services.

(SD News)