Now that Heilongjiang province’s first high-speed intercity rail line has gone into operation, as of Aug 17, a number of cities along China’s northernmost high-speed railway are expected to benefit, for example Daqing, which is famous for its oilfield and is now no more than an hour from Harbin, the provincial capital.

The train line runs from Harbin to Heilongjiang’s second-largest city, Qiqihar, with eight stops along the way, and a designated speed of 250 km per hour, which cuts the travel hours between the two from three hours to 85 minutes.

In commenting on the new train, a professor from Harbin’s Institute of Technology, Ma Tao, said, “If these three cities (Harbin, Daqing, Qiqihar) develop into an urban agglomeration, they will be part of the Harbin-Changchun megalopolis,” referring to Changchun, the capital of Jilin province.

Other major cities along the megalopolis line are Mudanjiang, Jilin, Yanji and Siping, which is a part of China’s urbanization strategy to develop the regional economy of Northeast China.

Ma goes on to say, “The passenger flow of the high-speed train will be an immediate stimulus for commerce, tourism, catering, and local transportation,” and, as if to support this claim, local media are already reporting that shopping malls and tourist destinations in Harbin are busy preparing for inbound visitors.

Experts have also noted that the improved transportation will increase the flow of production, mean more business opportunities, and make better use of the various cities’ resources for manufacturing, real estate, tourism, education and exhibitions.

At the same time, they say, Harbin will face challenges as more people from neighboring area coming to buy more products or services. But this challenge will also stimulate the city to improve its infrastructure and service sector.