A new high-speed railway line has gone into operation in China, linking Zhengzhou -- in central Henan province -- with the eastern city of Xuzhou. The 360 kilometer line dramatically cuts travel time between China's eastern and western provinces. Travel time between Xi'an and Shanghai has been cut to just six hours -- almost half of what it was before.

The first train operating on Zhengzhou-Xuzhou high-speed railway stops at Shangqiu Railway Station, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 10, 2016. A new high-speed railway (HSR) line between Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan Province, and Xuzhou in eastern Jiangsu Province started its operation on Saturday, making the total length of high-speed track in the country over 20,000 km. Trains running on the 360-kilometer-long track travels at a speed of 300km per hour at the early stage of operation. (Xinhua/Li An)

The new high-speed line has nine stations. It's high-speed trains can travel up to 300 kilometer per hour. Construction of the line started in December 2012 and test operations began in April 2016. China's high-speed railway network now covers more than 20,000 kilometers -- making it the largest in the world.