Dandong-Dalian express railway hits the tracks

The first coastal express railway in Northeast China, the Danda Railway, linking Dandong and Dalian in Liaoning province, was officially put into use on Thursday.

Initially, 24 passenger trains and 34 freight trains will run on the 290.7-kilometer railway each day at a speed of 200 km per hour, according to Zhao Wenguo, deputy director of Shenyang Railway Bureau.

Joining the Shenyang-Dandong high-speed railway (HSR) and the Harbin-Dalian HSR, the new railway forms a triangle in Shenyang, Dalian, and Dandong in Liaoning's railway network.

"Connecting five ports of various scales, the new railway will boost the railway-ocean combined transport and port economy in the region," said Zhao.

Construction of the railway for both passenger and cargo transportation began in June 2010 along the coastal line of the Yellow Sea.

Passengers can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the railway, which is two km to 10 km away from the seashore.

Both Dandong and Dalian are well-known tourist destinations in China.

It takes only seven minutes to walk from the Dandong railway station to the Yalu River that separates China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

As the key hub for trade, investment and tourism between the two countries, Dandong is expected to attract more tourists after the open of the express railway.

Taking advantage of the newly opened Danda express railway, some tourism agencies in Dalian are promoting tourism to DPRK.