The first train to traverse the Southern Shandong High-Speed Railway (the Rizhao-Qufu section) made its maiden passenger trip on Nov 26 from Linyi North Railway Station in Shandong province.

This was the first high-speed train to operate in the Yimeng area, a famous base for the Party-led armed struggle against Japanese invasion.

High-speed rail services have reduced travel time from Linyi North Railway Station to Qingdao and Jinan to just one hour and travel time to Shanghai and Beijing to just 3 hours. The rail is expected to accelerate economic and social development along its route.

The first train to operate on the Southern Shandong High-speed Railway (the Rizhao-Qufu section) makes its maiden passenger trip on Nov 26. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Niu Qinghua, a villager engaged in rural e-commerce, was thrilled to hear about the new high-speed train.

"In recent years, some of my clients have cut off dealings with me due to the lack of convenient transportation," Niu said, "Now I can't wait to tell them about the new high-speed rail."

"We're very excited that a new high-speed rail has opened right on our doorstep. It will help with rural revitalization in the Yimeng area," said a local surnamed Wang.

The Southern Shandong Railway, an important part of Shandong's high-speed railway network, is 477 kilometers long and has a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour. It has received a total of 72.5 billion yuan ($10.32 billion) in investment.

The Southern Shandong High-Speed Railway offers full 5G network coverage along its entire line.

"The railway offers a full-coverage wireless 5G network, giving passengers faster access to services and information," said Zhang Xuan, general manager of the Shandong branch of China Mobile.

The high-speed rail also bodes well for the city's development. According to the Linyi government, the city will invest 50 billion yuan in improving the city's infrastructure around the high-speed railway station.

The Southern Shandong railway forms a complete high-speed rail loop throughout Shandong, with the Jinan-Qingdao, Qingdao-Yancheng, and Beijing-Shanghai railways connecting many of the province's cities, including Jinan, Tai'an, Qufu, Linyi, Rizhao, Qingdao, Weifang, and Zibo.

According to the Shandong provincial government, the province's high-speed railway network is expected to cover more than 93 percent of the province's county areas by 2035, while the number of trains traveling at least 350 kilometers per hour will increase to more than 80 percent.