Photo: Li Hao/GT

Starting at Beijing West Railway Station and connecting Beijing's Daxing International Airport and Xiong'an New Area in Hebei Province, Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway is now fully opened as of Sunday. 

Ticketing platform 12306.com showed all tickets for the first train from Beijing West Railrway Station to Xiong'an Station were sold out within just a few hours of release Saturday afternoon. 

Two opening ceremonies were held respectively in Xiong'an Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station. Staff from the railway stations, constructors and passengers attended the ceremonies.

The construction of the intercity railway was divided into two parts. The section from Beijing West Station to Beijing Daxing International Airport had already opened on September 30, 2019. 

The whole length of the Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway is 91 kilometers. Ticket prices are set between 48 and 68 yuan ($7.35-$10.40).The designed top speed of bullet trains for this track is 350 kilometers per hour and the initial speed is set to rise to 300 kilometers per hour. The Fu Xing bullet train shortens traveling time from Beijing West Railway Station to Xiong'an New Area by 50 minutes. 

Song Tingting, office director of Beijing West Railway Station, told Global Times that from the opening of the Beijing West Station to Daxing International Airport section, the intercity railway had served more than 220,000 people. "The railway network will be rearranged, based on passenger volume rise in the future," said Song. 

Global Times