China's Longest High-Speed Railway

The world's longest high-speed rail route, running from the Chinese capital Beijing to Guangzhou in the south, will open for business today.

Travelling at an average speed of 300 kilometres (186 miles) per hour, the line will slash journey times linking Beijing in the north with the country's southern economic hub from 22 hours to eight hours.

The December opening means the 2,298 kilometre route, with 35 stops including major cities Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Changsha, will be operational for China's Lunar New Year holiday period, in which hundreds of millions of people travel across the country in the world's largest annual migration.