(Test train runs on the new line Photo: Xinhua)

The railway linking Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province that is famous for the West Lake, and Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), also a well-known tourist resort, started operation on Tuesday.

The 35-billion-yuan (US$5 billion) Z-shaped intercity line, which was announced in 2014, has nine stations, traveling west through the southern part of Hangzhou, Fuyang, Tonglu, Jiande, and Chun’an counties in the western part of Zhejiang, and northwest to Sanyang Village, the counties of Jixi and Shexian, as well as the city of Huangshan in Anhui Province.

(View of Yellow Mountain file pic)

Stretching 265 kilometers (165 miles), the route opens a natural cut between the mountains and rivers from West Zhejiang to South Anhui, threading through a series of top scenic spots in the region, including seven 5A scenic spots such as West Lake, Thousand Islands Lake, Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Xidihong Village, and more than 50 4A scenic spots such as Tonglu Yaolin Wonderland, Linan Daming Mountain, and Qiyun Mountain, as well as more than a dozen national forest parks and geological parks.

With a designed operating speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), it cuts the travel time by train from Hangzhou to Huangshan from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours, making it a more efficient choice for commuters and tourists.

From Tuesday to January 4, 2019, there will be 11 pairs of trains operating on the route. Starting on Jan. 5, 33 pairs of trains are scheduled to transport passengers on the new high-speed rail route.