Harbin-Jiamusi express railway marks first anniversary

The Harbin-Jiamusi express railway is now celebrating its first anniversary, local officials said.

The line is a technical marvel which operates efficiently at high altitudes and the sometimes bitterly low temperatures in China, they added.

Statistics from Harbin Railway Bureau revealed that the railway handled more than 20,000 trains and transported 8.85 million passengers over a one-year period starting on Sept 30, 2018.

It has become the most popular express railway lines in Heilongjiang province, officials said.

The 343-kilometer-long express railway, built in a region that may be hit by blizzards and temperatures as low as -40 C in winter, is designed to allow trains to run at 200 kilometers per hour in severe weather conditions – such as in heavy rain, winds, snow and fog. It has cut the previous travel time of about 6 hours down to 1 hour 58 minutes.

The line has 19 stations and it starts in Harbin – passing through Binxi, Fangzheng, Demoli, and Yilan -- before finally arriving in Jiamusi, the easternmost city in China.

The railway uses CRH5A high-speed trains in order to resist severe weather and ensure safe operation in high altitudes and cold conditions. Over the past one-year period, it has withstood snowstorms and proved safe and reliable, according to officials.

Construction of the Harbin-Jiamusi express railway started in July 2014 as one of the key projects included in China's mid-and-long term railway network scheme. About 80 percent of the track work was completed in isolated and remote places.

The operation of the railway put an end to the situation where 80 percent of the areas along the railway line did not have access to train services.

Currently, a total of 56 bullet trains travel on the line every day and the shortest interval between the trains running on the track is 20 minutes.

Joining the Harbin-Mudanjiang high-speed railway, the Harbin-Qiqihar high-speed railway, the Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway and the under-construction Mudanjiang-Jiamusi high-speed railway, rail officials said the operation of the Harbin-Jiamusi expressway railway signals a super-fast transport network linking cities in Heilongjiang province.

Passengers are able to travel between major cities in Heilongjiang province, such as Harbin, Qiqihar and Mudanjiang, within one to two hours.

Officials said the Harbin-Jiamusi express railway is playing an important role in boosting the development of transportation and the economy and trade in the region.