(Yicai Global) Aug. 17 -- The final piece of track on the high-speed rail link between Beijing and the Xiong’an New Area in Hebei province has been laid, confirming that China’s latest railway line is on schedule to open before the end of the year, the Beijing News reported.

The completion of the laying of the track is an important milestone for the building of the Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway, said the railway administration. The tracks now need to be precisely adjusted and the joints debugged. After testing, the Hebei section should come into operation before the end of the year, it added.

The 106 kilometer-long railway line is an important link between the capital city, its new international airport, the Beijing Daxing International Airport, and the Xiong’an New Area, a new development that began being built two years ago to take the pressure off resources in the capital city. With eight stations, the new route will reduce travel times between the two cities to one hour from two hours, the report added.

The Beijing section, which runs from Beijing West Railway Station to Daxing Airport, started operating last September. Trains speeds along the Beijing section are 250 kilometers per hour while the Hebei section will have faster speeds of 350 kilometers per hour.

Editor: Kim Taylor