A new high-speed rail between Shanghai and Kunming is going to be operated in late December, 2016.
Compared with a 35-hour journey from Shanghai to Kunming by regular rail, this new rail will make the 2,300-kilometer journey take only nine hours, with the highest speed of 350km/h.
This new high-speed rail makes it possible for passengers to spend 8 hours travelling from Hangzhou to Kunming, 4 hours from Changsha to Kunming, and 5.5 hours from Nanchang to Kunming.
Yunnan province is one of most popular tourist destinations in China. And the number of tourists to Kunming is expected to up from 10.25% to 20%, which makes it possible that the price of high-speed rail tickets will be lower than airplane tickets. In addition, several neighboring provinces like Sichuan are expected to have more visitors, with the help of the high-speed rail.