The Harbin-Qiqihar High-Speed Railway (HSR) celebrated its 8th anniversary of operation on Aug 17. Over the past eight years, it has safely transported 90.04 million passengers.
 
Opened in 2015, the HSR connects Harbin and Qiqihar cities in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
 
The railway connecting different cities in Heilongjiang province has been designed to run at the speed of 250 kilometers per hour. This railway route has become the first intercity high-speed railway within Heilongjiang province and the busiest due to the highest number of train services and passenger traffic volume.
   
This summer, the HSR has seen a 50 percent increase in average daily passengers to 45,000, with train services increasing from 20 to a peak of 42.5 pairs per day since its first use of operation.
 
Currently, the HSR provides direct connections to Beijing, Jilin, Changbai Mountains, Hunchun, Shenyang, Dandong, Zhengzhou, Heze, and other destinations outside the province.
 
Covering half of Heilongjiang province's population and contributing to 60 percent of its economic output, the areas along the Harbin-Qiqihar HSR have become the most vibrant, densely populated, and industrially developed region in the province.