The high-speed train number D8501 carrying its first batch of passengers left the Harbin Railway Station at 6 am on Nov 29, 2018; it marked the beginning of official operations on the newly-established Harbin-Mudanjiang High-Speed Railway, which is scheduled to officially start running by the end of this year.

The railway had been undergoing tests since Sept 17. Over a two-month period, passenger test trains have been used to examine systems including power supply, subgrade, communication, tunnels, bridges, passenger services and emergency response to ensure they all meet requirements.

Over the next 30 days, trial operations will be conducted to test and assess the availability, safety and reliability of equipment and the overall system; and also to check the training of operating personnel and hold emergency drills.

The schedule of trains running on lines connected to the Harbin-Mudanjiang Railway will be adjusted to accommodate the new schedule of operations.

In addition, the Mudanjiang-Suifenhe Railway will be able to accommodate faster trains, giving Suifenhe, a port bordering Russia, a high-speed rail service for the first time.

The Harbin-Mudanjiang High-speed Railway is one of the key projects included in Northeast China's fast passenger transportation network.

The 293-kilometer line links Harbin, the provincial capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, with Mudanjiang, a city on the Russian border. It will connect to the Russian border areas through the Suifenhe port.

The new line will have 11 stations, including Harbin, Xinxiangfang north, A’che north, Maoer Mountain, Shangzhi south and Yabuli west.

It will only carry passengers and is designed for speeds of around 250 km per hour. Once it is completed, it will shorten the journey time between Harbin and Mudanjiang to around 2 hours from the current 4 and a half.

To solve the potential operating risks caused by the extremely cold weather in winter, vehicle bodies of trains running on the railway have made 19 modifications to protect against cold-weather damage, mainly in the bathrooms, doors, brake systems, and front-end latching mechanisms.

Construction on the high-speed line started in December 2014.

Once the line officially starts operations, it is expected to increase trade and economic activity between China and Russia, as well as help to rejuvenate the old Northeast China industrial base.

Also, the Harbin-Mudanjiang High-speedway Railway will serve as an important ice and snow tourism line as it passes through Heilongjiang’s popular scenic areas such as Yabuli Ski Resort and Weihu Mountain Studio City.

High-speed train number D8501 leaves the Maoershanxi Railway Station on Nov 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

A passenger photographs the high-speed train number D8501 on its first trip to Mudanjiang on Nov 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The high-speed train number D8501 runs through a tunnel along the Harbin-Mudanjiang High-Speed Railway on Nov 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]