Emergency drills will also be held during the month-long trials.

There will be two different services - offering trips at speeds of 300kph and 250kph - on the route. Ticket prices are expected to be cheaper on slower trains.

While ticket prices for the new high-speed railway have not been announced, in preparation for the competition, some airlines are offering discounts. The standard price of a single air ticket between Shanghai and Beijing is 1,290 yuan (US$198), and it is speculated that a bullet train single ticket will cost half that price.

There will be 180 services a day between the cities during the first stage of operations of the new line. In addition, there will still be 260 services operated by regular trains.