China to open world's longest high-speed rail line

China to open world's longest high-speed rail line:
BEIJING (REUTERS) - China will open the world's longest high-speed rail line next week when a link between Beijing and the southern metropolis of Guangzhou is inaugurated, officials said on Saturday, underscoring its commitment to a trouble-plagued transport scheme.

The 2,298-km line, parts of which are already in operation, will begin full service on Wednesday, halving travel time to less than 10 hours on trains which will run at 300 kph.

The new route offers a chance for China's railways ministry, which has been dogged by scandals and missteps, to redeem itself.

A July crash last year of a high-speed train killed 40 people and raised concerns about the safety of the fast-growing network and threatened plans to export high-speed technology.