At least 20 daily intercity trains between Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be canceled until the middle of next month to allow the completion of a new rail link, Shenzhen Railway Station said yesterday.

The project for the new link has caused frequent train delays since last year.

A new train schedule is available at the station and ticket agents across the city. Passengers can also get the latest timetable by calling 9510-5160.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway Corp. expects the cancellation to help ease the problem of delays by running fewer trains.

"But travelers can still expect a 10- to 15-minute delay caused by ongoing track work," the company said.

Before the work is completed in April, the normal 65-minute train journey between the two cities will take an extra 30 minutes with speed restrictions ensuring the safety of the construction work.

However, the company expects the 4.7-billion-yuan (US$587.50-million) new line, the fourth rail link between Shenzhen and Guangzhou, to reduce the present journey time to 52 minutes.

Six new CRH (China Railway High-speed) trains that were introduced to the city in February will be able to reach their highest speed of 250 kmph once speed restrictions are lifted April 18. Another 15 CRH trains are expected to be put into service in July.

The company also unveiled a plan to build a rail link between Shenzhen's Longgang District and Guangzhou. The link, which will be finished in 2010, will further shorten the travel time to 20 minutes.

Some 136 intercity trains operate daily between Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and 24 trains between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Last year, 27 million passengers traveled by train between Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Editor: Donald