The Hainan Provincial Government and the Ministry of Railways have reached initial agreement on building an express railway to link Haikou and Sanya, cities in the south China province.

Construction on the railway will begin next year and the railway is expected to become operational in 2008, according to the provincial government.

Traveling by the express 300-kilometer railway between the two cities will cut travel time to 70 minutes compared to three and a half hours by expressway.

A scenic tropical city located in the southernmost of Hainan, Sanya attracts more than 3.6 million tourists every year. Haikou, the provincial capital located on the northernmost part of the island province, serves as the first stop for most travelers.

Experts said that linking the two cities together is of great significance in promoting tourism in the island province.

The expressway linking the two cities was completed in 1999.

Source: Xinhua