A new high speed railway service will connect the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province from February 1.

The China Railway High Speed (CRH) trains have a sleek modern design, with carriages that are narrower than ordinary trains. The passenger doors are 1.1 meters wide, 30 to 40 centimeters wider than ordinary trains.

Each train has 72 first class seats that are as wide and spacious as the business class section of a place. They also have a special bar and restaurant carriage equipped with a refrigerator, microwave oven, convection oven and water heater for the passengers' convenience.

The trains are designed to be more environmentally- and user-friendly. All the toilets come equipped with an auto-flushing system and special button for emergency assistance. The trains also have special toilets for disabled people.

The CRH trains can run at 250 km per hour, though a speed limit of 110 to 160 km per hour has been set for the busy Spring Festival transportation period.

(CRI January 31, 2007)