China Launches World's Longest High-Speed Rail Line

Journalists gathered near a high-speed train before its departure on the new route between Beijing and Guangzhou on Dec. 26. Photo by Getty Images

China began service on Wednesday on the world's longest high-speed rail line, covering a distance of 2,300km in just eight hours.

Bullet trains traveling 300 kilometers an hour, or 186 miles an hour, began regular service between Beijing and Guangzhou, the main metropolis in southeastern China.

The rail line includes 35 stops in major cities such as Zhenghzhou, Wuhan on the Yangze River and Gangsha.

Older trains still in service on a parallel rail line take 21 hours, the New York Times has observed.