Construction starts on new high-speed railway in central China's Hubei

WUHAN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a high-speed railway in central China's Hubei Province began Wednesday, according to local railway authorities.

The railway, which will link Shiyan City in Hubei and Xi'an, capital of the neighboring Shaanxi Province, is scheduled to be put into operation in 2026.

Upon completion, the railway service is expected to shorten travel time from Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, to Xi'an to approximately 2.5 hours from 4.5 hours.

The railway, with a designed speed of 350 km per hour, will span about 255 km, with the Hubei section stretching about 86 km.

This high-speed railway will form an important part of the Fuzhou-Yinchuan High-speed railway network. It will help accelerate the economic development of the areas along the railway line and boost the economic development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the construction company.