A high-speed railway connecting the three major cities of Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai, across the Shandong Peninsula opened on Nov 16, forming a one-hour city-to-city loop.

With construction starting in 2011, and costing 37 billion yuan ($5.5 billion), the railway runs for 300 kilometers, traversed by trains at an average speed of 250 kilometers per hour, peaking out at 300 kph.

Starting at Qingdao North Railway Station, the line goes northeast through Jiaodong Peninsula and ends at Rongcheng Railway Station in Weihai, stopping at 14 stations.

Journey times between Qingdao and Yantai will be reduced from four and a half hours to just one, according to an official from Yantai railway bureau.

Travel times between Qingdao and Weihai will also be cut to less than two hours.

Nearly 20 million people will benefit from the new service, which covers an area of 30,000 square kilometers.

The railway will help to eliminate the transport bottlenecks in the northeastern area of Shandong Peninsula, improving regional cooperation and boosting economic development.

"The speed of transport is key to allowing labor markets to function effectively in ever-expanding cities," said one expert on urban studies.

"A highly developed transportation network will support commuting between neighboring cities, and the frequent flow of people across the region will further promote the development of industries, markets, management, education, transportation and communications.

"In this case, the intercity railway will help to implement the urbanization strategy and the formation of a city cluster as Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai already share close cultural ties and high-degrees of integration," the expert added.

Tourism in towns and cities along the railway will also benefit as the line traverses the country's sailing capital of Qingdao, the popular leisure destination of Yantai, and the picturesque city of Weihai.

The bullet train awaits its maiden trip to Rongcheng at Qingdao North Railway Station on Nov 16. [Photo/news.cn]

Crew members take a group photo before their maiden trip to Rongcheng at Qingdao North Railway Station on Nov 16. [Photo/news.cn]

An attendant hands out commemorative brochures to passengers on the maiden trip of the Qingdao-Rongcheng high-speed rail in Shandong province on Nov 16. [Photo/news.cn]