World's first high-speed train starts in China

The world's first high-speed train in areas with extremely low temperature started operation in China Saturday.

Trains started at 9 am Saturday to mark the operation of the 921-km line, reported Xinhua.

The high-speed railway with designed speeds of up to 350 km per hour went into service after passing a two-month test during which the region was hit by blizzards and harsh cold as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.

"The operation of Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway signals a great progress in the building of a high-speed rail network," said Lu Chunfang, vice minister of the Ministry of Railways.

China has 8,600 km of operational high-speed railways.