Harbin-Mudanjiang railway marks first month

A train serving the Harbin-Mudanjiang High-speed Railway crosses the Songhua River Railway Bridge. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The Harbin-Mudanjiang High-Speed Railway, one of the key projects included in Northeast China's fast passenger transportation network, has now been in service for one month.

During that time, the railway has been used by 1,654 trains, seeing a daily average of 53 services. And it has been used by a total of 590,000 passengers –– a daily average of 19,000.

To cope with increased demand during the Spring Festival travel rush, an extra five services a day are currently running in each direction of the track.

The 293-kilometer line links Harbin, the provincial capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, with Mudanjiang, a city on the Russian border.

The new line has 11 stations, including Harbin, Xinxiangfang north, A'che north, Maoer Mountain, Shangzhi south and Yabuli west.

It only carries passengers and is designed for speeds of around 250 km per hour. Thanks to the line, the journey time between Harbin and Mudanjiang is only around 1 hour and 28 minutes, down from the previous 4 and a half.

It is hoped that the new railway will increase trade between China and Russia, as well as help to rejuvenate the old Northeast China industrial base.

In addition, the Harbin-Mudanjiang High-speedway Railway will serve as an important ice and snow tourism line as it passes through Heilongjiang's popular scenic areas, such as Yabuli Ski Resort and Weihu Mountain Studio City.

Statistics from China Railway Harbin Bureau reveal that around 1,400 tourists will head to Yabuli and Xuexiang by taking the Harbin-Mudanjiang high-speed train.