Harbin-Jiamusi railway starts trial operations

A train heading from Harbin to Jiamusi, Heilongjiang province, arrived at Jiamusi Railway Station at 9:05 am on July 16, after a single journey of about two hours and 30 minutes. It marked the start of the newly built Harbin-Jiamusi rail line.

The 340-kilometer-long Harbin-Jiamusi express railway, built in a region where the temperature can be as low as minus 40 degrees in winter, is designed to allow trains to run at 200 kilometers per hour in severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, wind, snow and fog, cutting the travel time to 110 minutes from about 360 minutes.

The line, which has 14 stations, starts in Harbin, passes through Binxi, Fangzheng, Demoli, and Yilan, before finally arriving in Jiamusi, the easternmost city in China.

Construction of the Harbin-Jiamusi Rail Line started in 2014 from both terminals. About 80 percent of the track work was completed in isolated and remote places. 

The operations of the Harbin-Jiamusi Rail Line will put an end to the situation where 80 percent of the areas along the new line that did not have access to train services.

The rail line will also be connected to Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Rail Line, joining Heilongjiang province’s rail network and serving as a bridge between China and Russia, thereby boosting bilateral trade, and economic and cultural exchanges.

A test train makes preparations before leaving from Harbin West Railway Station to Jiamusi on July 16. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Countryside scenery along the Harbin-Jiamusi railway. [Photo/Chinanews.com]