The Beijing-Tianjin intercity rail project has broken ground on July 4 at the boundary between Beijing and Tianjin. The project is scheduled to open to traffic by June 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympics. It would reduce the time of travel between Beijing and Tianjin to half an hour and become an important high-speed passage of intercity traffic in the Bohai-rim region.

The railway with investment totaling 12.3 billion yuan will be 115 kilometers long. It is this year's third rail passenger line following the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan passenger line and the Wuhan-Guangzhou passenger line.

Once it is put to operation a train is scheduled every three minutes during rush hours, making it very convenient for travelers between the two cities. According to sources the possibility is considered to realize transfer between the Beijing-Tianjin intercity rail and Beijing Subway No.4 Line.

By People's Daily Online