Signalled by the sound of a long whistle at Pinghu South Railway Station in Shenzhen, the railway linking Shenzhen and Chengdu in Sichuan Province was officially opened Tuesday (Apr. 20) morning.

Two trains at Pinghu South and Chengdu East railway stations departed simultaneously to mark the opening.

The journey from Pinghu South to Chengdu East takes more than 119 hours while the return journey takes almost 115 hours.

Customs procedures such as cargo declaration, examination, taxation, foreign exchange settlement and tax rebates for imports and exports will be handled by Chengdu Customs.

The only responsibility for Sungang Customs in Shenzhen will be to ensure that cargo is transferred quickly.

"The optimization of the rail line shortens delivery time and cost while improving the efficiency of our company," said a company representative surnamed Zhang at the opening ceremony.

Cargo delivery is scheduled twice a week from April 20 to June 30.

From July 1 to the end of the year, the cargo will be delivered four times a week.

The railway was a joint effort involving the city governments, customs and railway companies in both cities.

The opening of the railway is expected to boost development in western regions as well as port and rail transport.

Editor: Donald