Test runs on the Beijing-Tianjin express railway ended Saturday, with the line scheduled to be in use by August 1 ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games, CCTV reported on Sunday.

Trains ran at a maximum of 380 km per hour on Saturday, the fastest such service in the country, CCTV said.

The 115-km trip from the Beijing South Railway Station to the Tianjin Station took 27 minutes, including one-minute stops respectively at Yizhuang and Wuqing stations.

Travel between the two cities is currently affected by road congestion and slow rail service. At present, the train takes more than an hour to make the trip, and buses take two hours.

Previous media reports have said that express rail tickets would cost 60 yuan (US$9.6) to 80 yuan, but the pricing was still awaiting regulatory approval.

Express trains would run at three-minute intervals and carry a maximum of 18,000 passengers per hour.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2008)