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China's high-speed train hits the tracks

— PHOTO: AFP

One of the high speed trains leaves Shenyang, China, on Wednesday.

SHANGHAI: A train designed to run at speeds up to 250 km per hour left Shanghai for Suzhou early Wednesday morning, ushering in the era of high-speed rail travel in the world's fastest growing economy.

Nationwide, 280 high-speed trains left stations on their first runs on Wednesday. By the end of the year, more than 500 high-speed trains will be in service. A train left Shanghai at 5:38 a.m. and arrived in Suzhou 39 minutes later, cutting travel time for the 112-km journey almost by half.

``It felt like we were travelling on an airplane,'' said a passenger.

``In the past it took more than an hour to get here.'' Liu Dongwei, the 38-year-old driver of the train, has seen six ``speed boosts'' on Chinese railways since 1997. ``The speed limit for trains has risen dramatically, from 40 to 50 kmph to the current 250 kmph,'' he said. When Mr. Liu started his career in 1993, he shovelled coal into a steam locomotive.

``My job has become easier as it's more like operating an airplane,'' he said proudly of his train, which is powered by multiple electric engines.

Passengers taking longer trips will notice even more considerable time savings. — Xinhua

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