The G55301 high-speed trains stop at the platform. [Photo by Hu Yue/provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]

With the G55301 high-speed trains departing from Huzhou for Hangzhou at 8 o'clock on July 6, the Huzhou-Hangzhou section of the Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway has officially begun trial operations, local media outlets reported.

"The trial run, which will last for at least a month, will follow the train working diagram and carry out various fault simulations and emergency rescues," said a technician from the construction team.

Construction on the high-speed railway started at the end of 2019 and trial operations started on April 28 this year. As of July 5, more than 2,023 test trains have run on the high-speed railway, with a total mileage of 57,226 kilometers. The trains can run at a maximum speed of 385 km per hour.

The high-speed trains approach the Hangzhou West Railway Station. [Photo by Li Ning/provided to ehangzhou.gov.cn]

The high-speed railway, which is an important piece of supporting infrastructure for the Hangzhou Asian Games, starts from the existing Huzhou Station, passes through the city's South Taihu New Area, Wuxing district and Deqing county, and travels across the Fuchun River to Hangzhou's Yuhang district, Xihu district, Fuyang district and Tonglu county.

A total of 137.8 km of the high-speed railway, with 37.03 billion yuan ($5.52 billion) in investment, was constructed from scratch, connecting three new stations - Hangzhou West, Fuyang West, and Tonglu East.

The distances between Hangzhou and satellite cities and counties have been greatly shortened. When leaving from Hangzhou West, it takes only seven minutes to reach Fuyang West, 18 minutes to reach Tonglu East, and 32 minutes to reach Jiande Station.