By Ma Miaomiao · 2020-08-21 · Source: NO.35 AUGUST 27, 2020
The last batch of 500-meter rails were laid down on August 17 for a high-speed intercity railway linking Beijing and Xiongan New Area in neighboring Hebei Province in north China, marking the beginning of the countdown to the line's full operation.
A key project for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Beijing-Xiongan high-speed intercity railway is expected to come into full operation by the end of the year, shortening the travel time between Beijing and Xiongan from the current two hours to about one hour.
This is a microcosm of China's recent blueprint to build a modern railway network, where commutes within cities will be limited to one hour by 2035. The upgraded travel system will also limit commutes within city clusters to two hours and between neighboring provincial capitals or city clusters to three hours.