A high-speed train from Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, to Shanghai is expected to open in May or June, shortening the travel time between the two cities to about seven hours, Shanxi Evening News has reported.

"We will work hard to open the Taiyuan-Shanghai high-speed train in the first half year," said an official at the the Taiyuan railway bureau, adding that the bureau is making positive preparations.

Taiyuan, about 1,505 kilometers distant from Shanghai, now has four trains with travel times ranging from nearly 14 hours to 22 hours.

The shortened seven hour travel time of the high-speed train is expected to boost the tourist industry and help drive Shanxi's economic and social development.