Elevated railway line opens in Chinese port city of Qingdao

QINGDAO -- An elevated railway line opened Monday in Qingdao, a port city in East China's Shandong province, as part of the city's metro system.

Travelling at up to 120 km per hour, the train on the 58-km line connects central Qingdao with the suburban district of Jimo, according to Liu Shengxiu, general manager of a local company affiliated with China Railway Construction Corporation, which built the line.

The line, known as Subway No 11, is the city's third urban rail in operation, and has 22 stations from Miaoling Road in Laoshan District to Aoshan Bay in Jimo district.

It is expected to handle 50,000 to 80,000 passenger trips every day.

Traversing through the coastal area, hills, springs and woods, it will offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the city.

The total cost of the line was 19 billion yuan ($3 billion).

Located on the Jiaodong Peninsula, Qingdao will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in June.