"Beijing-Shanghai line moves ahead" from South China Morning Post

"The route, which is scheduled to go into operation before the end of next year, serves three municipalities - Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai - and passes through the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu. It effectively connects a quarter of the country's population with bullet-train links.

Railway officials estimate the 24-station route will handle an astounding 80 million passengers in each direction annually."


"The mainland has 7,431km of high-speed rail track in operation - more than any other country in the world."