Today, it takes 24 to 26 hours to get from Shenzhen to Beijing by rail. But as of the end of this year, that may be a thing of the past — at least for those who can afford it.

The Wuhan-Beijing section of China’s high-speed railway network is expected to open before the end of 2012, linking up with the Wuhan-Guangzhou and Guangzhou-Shenzhen sections.  When the full line goes into operation, the 2,372-kilometer journey will involve stops at Guangzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang and take only 8 hours, according to China Daily.

The high-speed rail is expected to be a threat to airlines, as an economy-class ticket between Beijing and Shenzhen can cost RMB1,750 according to the Shenzhen Daily. But questions have been raised as to whether the high-speed rail will be able to offer significantly lower prices.

The current price for high-speed railway tickets from Shenzhen to Wuhan is RMB840 for a first-class ticket and RMB540 for second class, according to China Daily, and the distance between Beijing and Shenzhen is double the distance between Wuhan and Shenzhen.

A journey on the slow-as-molasses-train currently costs between RMB257 and RMB720, so maybe the longer journey is more than an acceptable concession for a cheaper fare.

Meanwhile, the safety of the high-speed rail is an even more controversial than the price. There was much public anger last year after a botched government response to the Wenzhou high-speed rail disaster which claimed 39 lives, leading to accusations of cover-ups.

The aftermath of the Wenzhou Rail Disaster