The high-speed railway linking eastern China's metropolis of Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital of neighboring Zhejiang Province, began operating Tuesday.

The new route brings the length of China's high-speed railways in operation to 7,431 kilometers -- the longest in the world, said Wang Yongping, Railway Ministry spokesman.

The new service, with trains running at up to 350 kilometers per hour, includes nine stations. Eighty pairs of trains will operate along the route every day. Travel times differ according to the various stations along the route.

The fastest train between Shanghai and Hangzhou can cover the 202-kilometer route in just 45 minutes, cutting 33 minutes off the previous time.

The Shanghai-Hangzhou line is the second high-speed railway in the Yangtze River Delta. As one of China's major economic zones, the Yangtze River Delta is the most heavily commuted part of the country.

As a part of the efforts to boost development of the region, the other railway between Shanghai and Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province, went into operation on July 1.

A ticket for a first-class seat on the new Shanghai-Hangzhou express train costs 131 yuan ($19.3), while a second-class ticket is 82 yuan ($12).

(CRIENGLISH.com October 26, 2010)