Today is the test run of the world's fastest train on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. The trial has been conducted between Zaozhuang in Shandong Province and Bengbu in Anhui Province over a distance of 220 kilometers.

A previous test in September saw a train on the line clock more than 416 kilometers an hour. Today's trial saw an even higher speed at 520 kilometers per hour. The Beijing-Shanghai line is China's longest high-speed rail line. It covers over 1,300 kilometers and connects two major economic zones in the Bohai Sea Rim and the Yangtze River Delta. The train is expected to be in operation by the end of next year, which will shorten the trip between Beijing and Shanghai to under five hours.