A new high-speed railway line which went into operation on the Jiaodong Peninsula, Shandong province, on Nov 26, is expected to boost regional connectivity in the eastern coastal area, according to China Railway Jinan Group.
It will also help improve the region's links to China's central and western areas, the group said.
The 126-kilometer line, designed for train speeds of up to 350 km per hour, directly connects Weifang and Laixi cities in Shandong. The initial operating speed of the line will be 300 km/h. The new line will also cut 30 minutes from the traveling time between Shandong's capital, Jinan, and the major cities.
about 83 percent of the line, 104 km, consists of tunnels and bridges, according to the China Railway Design Corporation. One bridge, which runs above the Qingdao-Rongcheng intercity railway line, has some major breakthroughs in railway design and construction.
It is the first bridge on a high-speed railway to use uncoated steel in its construction. The steel does not have to be painted, which saves maintenance cost.
