JINAN -- A new high-speed railway section went operational on Dec 26 in East China's Shandong province, bringing the city of Heze into the country's high-speed rail network.

The 199-km new rail section connects the city of Qufu and Zhuangzhai township, Heze's Caoxian county, said the China Railway Jinan Group Co Ltd.

The fastest train takes passengers only one hour and 23 minutes from Heze to the provincial capital Jinan and less than three hours to Beijing.

The new line will enhance the transport interconnectivity between the southern part of Shandong and the plain area in central China and greatly facilitate the travel of people along the route. It is of massive significance to promoting regional economic and social development, said the company.

The newly opened section is part of the high-speed railway between Shandong's Rizhao city and Lankao, Henan province, with a designed train speed of 350 km per hour.