Early on Monday morning, train No D5001 left the station in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, to begin trial runs on China's northern most high-speed rail line.

The 281-km line with eight stops links Harbin, the provincial capital, to Daqing and Qiqihar. Work began in November 2009, but snow and frozen land posed numerous problems during construction.

In recent months, Harbin Railway Bureau has trained crews on safety measures, service etiquette and emergency procedures.

Chen Min, conductor on No D5001, said, "There is a toilet for the disabled in each carriage, which has an emergency call bell. If passengers get into difficulties, they will receive help from the train staff as soon as possible."

The line will be tested by extremely low temperatures during the winter.

Huang Lei, an engineer at the bureau, said the CRH5A high-speed trains on the line are designed to withstand the climate in areas that may be hit by blizzards and temperatures as low as - 40 C. They can withstand adverse weather, such as strong winds, heavy rain, snow and fog.

The new line, designed for trains running at up to 250 km/h, will go into service in August if it passes a one-month test.

It will cut travel time between Harbin and Qiqihar to about 1 hour 20 minutes from three hours.

The line is expected to carry about 8 million passengers annually, and 28 pairs of trains will be in operation every day, according to Harbin railway authorities.

It is expected to greatly improve transportation in Harbin, Daqing, Qiqihar and surrounding cities and boost the tourism industry in Harbin and Qiqihar, which is well-known for the Zhalong National Nature Reserve.

A first-class ticket for travel between Harbin and Qiqihar is likely to cost 103.5 yuan ($16.70) and a second-class ticket 86 yuan.

"The ticket price is much cheaper than I imagined," said Liu Guiqing, 56, a retired teacher from Qiqihar.

"Now I live with my son in Harbin, but I have to return to Qiqihar regularly. The three-hour trip is always arduous, but I believe the opening of the high-speed line will make the journey much easier."

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