Four High-Speed Trains Now Depart from Beijing Station + Other Transit News
Beijing-Shanghai and Three Other High-Speed Routes Now Departing from Beijing Station: This Saturday at 7.40am, the G3 Beijing-Shanghai high-speed train departed Beijing Railway Station for the first time, reports Beijing Daily.
The G3 joins the G6 and three other pairs of trains – the G325/G324 from Beijing to Xiamen North; G209/G206 from Beijing to Qingdao; and the G8901/G8902 from Beijing to Tianjin West – all now departing from the central railway station to their corresponding destinations. Moving the trains to their new departure station of Beijing Railway Station is hoped to alleviate traffic and transit times to stations like Beijing South.
Line 3 Undergoes No-Load Trial Operations: Line 3 is inching ever more towards completion this year, with trains and rolling stock in Dongba undergoing no-load test runs as of Jun 15, according to local media.
The no-load trial operations are expected to run no less than three months, following which trains will undergo safety assessments and, finally, initial trial operations.
Expected to be open within the year, Line 3 will run east to west and have transfer points at Dongsishitiao (Line 2), Workers’ Stadium (Line 17), Chaoyang Park (Line 14), and Dongba North (Line 12). It’s anticipated that the line will help alleviate traffic pressure around Chaoyang Railway Station.
Beijing-Hong Kong & Shanghai-Hong Kong High-Speed Sleepers Now in Operation: Beijing-Hong Kong and Shanghai-Hong Kong sleeper trains have entered operation as of Jun 15, according to Beijing Daily.
The Beijing to Hong Kong train is now in service four times a week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), departing from Beijing West Station at 8.13pm and arriving in downtown Kowloon right on the harbor 12 hours later at 8.47am.
The return trip runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from the Kowloon station at 6.24pm, arriving at the Beijing West Station the next day at 6.53am.
They provide second-class seats (RMB 854), EMU upper bunks (RMB 940) and lower bunks (RMB 1,060), for both the Beijing to Hong Kong service and Hong Kong to Beijing service.
For the EMU sleeper bunks, a quadruple room is equipped with two bunk beds, accompanied by a small table and shared kettle. This room is separated from the aisle by sliding doors, according to 12306, one of the most popular ticket booking sites in China.
According to the Beijing Daily report, the new D909/D910 trains traveling between Beijing West and West Kowloon will replace trains Z97/Z98. The new high-speed sleepers will cut travel times between Beijing and Hong Kong considerably, from 24 hours and 31 minutes and 19 hours and 34 minutes to 12 hours and 34 minutes and 11 hours and 14 minutes, respectively.
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Images: Unsplash, Beijing Daily (北京日报), People's Railway (人民铁道)
