China's railway ministry announced Monday speed-based trial prices for the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.

Tickets for trips on trains running at 300 kph will be priced between 555 yuan ($85.6) for second-class seats and 1,750 yuan for business class. Prices for journeys 250-kph trains will range from 410 yuan for second-class seats to 650 yuan for first-class.

Prices will float according to the market and for the good of passengers, said Vice Minister of Railways Hu Yadong at a press conference.

There will be 63 pairs of trains with the speed of 300 kph every day, cutting travel time to 4 hours and 48 minutes. The additional 27 pairs of trains running 250 kph will complete the trip in about 8 hours, 2 hours shorter than the current high-speed trains.

The 1,318-km rail will go into commercial service at the end of this month, after trial operations that began May 11.

The 136 ordinary trains currently in use between the two metropolises will continue providing service after the bullet trains commence service, according to the ministry.

The ministry decided to slow the speed to 300 kph instead of the previously planned 350 kph for cost and safety concerns, Railways Minister Sheng Guangzu said in April.

Hu said running safety is guaranteed as the track has passed a preliminary check and met standards for running at such fast speeds. Further, the ministry has made specific measures and preparatory plans to ensure security, he said.

Last week, an inspection team consisting of 30 engineering academicians and experts gave the green light for the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line to open after examining the systems communication signal, tractive power supply, operation control and energy-saving and environmental protection measures.

Hu said the new line will significantly ease the transportation strain between the two cities and promote development and coordination between regional economies.

In the initial phase, the new rail will increase cargo transportation capacity by 140,000 tonnes per day and 50 million tonnes per year, he said.

He also said the ministry will implement a new rail operation plan on July 1 that will add 195 pairs of passenger trains to bring the total to 2,128.5 pairs per day nationwide, which will carry 4.01 million people per day, an increase of 9.6 percent from the current capacity.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2011)