The aerial photo taken on Jan. 1, 2018 shows a view of Baiyangdian, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in north China, in Anxin County, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhuanet/Mao Heran)
(ECNS) — Ecological protection will be a priority in building an intercity railway linking Beijing and Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei Province, with construction set to start in March, The Beijing News reported.
Work on the 93-kilometer, 33.37 billion yuan ($5.22 billion) line is scheduled to be completed in February 2020.
The line mainly consists of three sections -- Beijing West to Liying Railway Station in Beijing's Daxing District, Liying Railway Station to Beijing's new airport, and the latter to Xiongan Railway Station in Xiongxian county.
The section between Liying and the airport will allow a planned speed of 250 kilometers per hour, while the third section that terminates in Xiongan will facilitate a speed up to 350 kilometers per hour.
An environmental assessment report says the railway line will include a tunnel and bridge to minimize the effect on protected water source areas. Construction will pose no challenge to ensuring ecological protection.
Xiongan Railway Station will have nine platforms and 19 railway tracks, making it a modern transportation hub in the broader Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region well connected to other high-speed railway lines.
China announced plans last April to establish the new economic zone about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing covering Hebei's Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties. Following the success of the country's two economic zones in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions, Xiongan is expected to promote the formation of a world-class city cluster.
