The world's longest high-speed line, the Beijing-Guangzhou rail route, will be officially opened on December 26. But before that, hundreds of reporters have had a ride on the train in a test run on Saturday.

Nearly 200 journalists from home and abroad have come to experience the speed and luxury on the world's longest high speed rail. For many of them, it's a rare opportunity to enjoy Chinese train travel at this level of speed and comfort.

300 kilometers per hour, that means you can travel at 80 meters every second. The once 22-hour-long trip now is reduced to eight.

The Ministry of Railways says it has optimized and enhanced the comfort of the journey and it is confident about the technology and safety of the train.

Zhao Chunlei, deputy director of Ministry of Railway, said, "We enhanced real time inspections and monitoring of the railway infrastructure, applied disaster prevention and early warnings for emergencies. The emergency rescue system and all kinds of preparations have been set up to improve emergency response. Right now everything is functioning properly."

The high-speed railway connects Beijing with five provincial capitals. Part of the line, from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou, is already in operation. With the Beijing to Zhengzhou section opening on December 26, the entire high-speed route will be connected.

It's the longest of its kind, with a total length of 2,298 kilometers. The route is expected to reduce the pressure of the travel peak during the Spring Festival. Ordinary commuters will benefit, and find that after all, their hometowns, are not that far away.

(CNTV.cn December 22, 2012)