New train schedule to increase passenger and freight services

China's railway system will run on a new schedule from Wednesday that adds more passenger and freight trains to support the country's social and economic development, the national railway operator, China State Railway Group, said on Tuesday.

The new schedule will feature 11,075 passenger trains a day, 449 more than before. There will also be 42 more freight train services operating each day, taking the daily total to 22,224.

The group said the new high-speed railway line linking Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which opened on Aug 31, will enhance connections between southwestern and southern China.

A major high-speed line linking southwestern China and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will have its operating speed increased from Wednesday.

The 857-kilometer line, linking Guiyang, Guizhou, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will travel at a top speed of 300 km/h, up from 250 km/h at present.

The travel time between the two provincial capitals will be reduced by 31 minutes, down to 3 hours and 39 minutes.

Under the new schedule, six more bullet trains will operate between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.