The first few kilometers of track for the Weifang-Laixi high-speed railway were laid on Dec 7.

The line is expected to begin operating by the end of 2020, cutting the travel time from Yantai to Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, by two hours.

The Weifang-Laixi high-speed railway carries a price tag of 16.1 billion yuan and has a total length of 125.76 kilometers. The line starts from Weifang North Station, runs through Changyi South Station in Weifang and Pingdu North Station in Qingdao and ends at Laixi North Station in Qingdao.

The line is an important part of the Jinan-Qingdao high-speed railway and mainly serves passengers in Yantai, Weihai and Weifang.

The route will play a vital role in strengthening regional exchange in Shandong province and promoting the development of small and medium-sized cities along the route.