China's Beijing-to-Guangzhou high-speed rail (HSR) link opened on Wednesday, a 2,398-kilometer journey rated the world's longest HSR train line. Once a Shenzhen-Hong Kong HSR link is completed in 2015, the line will connect Hong Kong with the Chinese capital. The new line connecting Guanzhou with Beijing is designed for a maximum speed of 350 kmh, with an average speed of 300 kmh, state media reported. This reduces travel time between the two cities from more than 20 hours to around eight hours. The connection has up to 35 stops in cities that include Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, according to state-run Xinhua.
