BEIJING (AP) China hopes to complete an express passenger train between Beijing and the southern coastal boomtown of Shenzhen by 2010, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said Wednesday.

The government is seeking domestic and foreign investment for the project, which is expected to cost about 220 billion yuan (US$27.5 billion), according to the NDRC.

Trains on the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) line will be able to reach a speed of 200 kph (125 mph) - twice the speed of the current north-south express train that operates between Beijing and Guangzhou - and will cut travel time to 10 hours from the current 24, it said.

Once the train is in operation, the Guangzhou-Beijing line will be used for cargo, it said.