Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway begin to show social effects

On September 7, Tianjin Snacks Festival closed in Tianjin Food Street. According to statistics from Tianjin Commercial Committee, since its opening on August 27, the snacks festival received 10,000 people everyday, among which visitors from outside Tianjin accounted for 70%, and among this group of tourists more than 80% are from Beijing who took the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city high-speed train to here for sightseeing.

Statistics from Ministry of Railways show that in the month after the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city train was opened, over 1.831 million passengers have been transported, representing a 128.4 percent year-on-year growth. According to the Tianjin Station, the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city lines run 60 trains daily. The attendance on Friday, Saturday and Sunday can reach as high as 100 percent, with average weekly attendance of 80%. The tickets in the morning, evening and weekend are hard to get. Beijing-Tianjin inter-city high-speed railway has begun to show social and economic effects.

During the Olympic Games, many Beijing citizens and many tourists in Beijing took the high-speed railway to Tianjin. Coastal scenery, folk customs and cultural tours, city sightseeing tours became very popular. According to Tianjin tourism department, in August, 5 A-level scenic spot Ancient Culture Street’s sales has 15 percent growth than the period before the opening of inter-city rail.

"The transportation connection between Beijing and Tianjin will greatly ease the traffic tension in the two places, bringing Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei region closer," Tianjin major Huang Guoxing said with confidence.

By People's Daily Online