As well, direct service will be provided to fast trains going to Harbin, Shenzhen and Lhasa.

Online ticket sellers list business class tickets for the tomorrow’s Shanghai-Guangzhou high-speed train priced at around RMB 2,500. First-class and second class tickets are priced at RMB 1,300 and RMB 800.

[h/t Shanghaiist]

Photo: news.China

The Hindustan Times reported that officials from the High Speed Rail Corp and the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd will visit Beijing on Monday, in order to sign an agreement worth approximately RMB 200 billion (US $32.6 billion).

Although the reports could not be verified by China Daily, the stock values of the railway companies rumoured to be involved rose sharply, over 9 percent, on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

High-speed rail travel is a key part in Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s proposed “diamond quadrilateral” plan to establish high-speed rail connections between India’s major cities.

While some critics believe the deal would allow China to narrow its trade deficit with India, others are touting the benefits of cooperating with a Chinese-backed deal.

Diao Chunhe, President of the China International Contractors Association, points out that Chinese rail construction companies come equipped with their own funding model. ”They are capable of coordinating finances for projects through Chinese institutions, such as the Export-Import Bank of China or China Development Bank,” said Diao.

Photo: Mafengwo.cn

The landslide was caused by heavy rain. It hit train T171 at around 5am on Thursday near Shakou, in Foshan, about 20km north of the City of Qingyuan in Guangdong.

The train had just left the station at Nanchang and was headed towards Guangzhou. Pictures taken at the scene show dirt coming in through the train windows, covering the train walls.

The passengers are reported to have been evacuated. Emergency response teams have been sent out.

Photos: Foshan Daily, Guangzhou Daily

Indeed, Gongbei Station at on the Zhuhai-Macau border opened on December 31, creating easy rail access from nearly all points in the PRD to Zhuhai and Macau.  The line, which isn’t exactly a traditional high-speed rail line, starts at Guangzhou South Station and extends down the west side of the PRD.  Up until the end of 2012, its last station was Zhuhai North, which many will tell you isn’t all that close to Zhuhai.  From there, people had to take an hour long taxi ride to get to the border, sometimes at considerable cost.

The new station opening means the train will extend south from Zhuhai North down to Gongbei, which is the name of the border crossing with Macau.  The journey takes 80 minutes in total, as the line stops multiple times in towns and villages along the route.

So how much does it cost for a ticket? RMB 70 for a regular ticket, or RMB 90 if you want to travel in style, in first class. And that is a problem for many who live along the line, according to the Macau Daily Times:

But according to local media reports, many city residents complained that the tickets are set at unreasonably high prices, which are over 50 percent higher than the prices before the Intercity was extended to the current stop at Gongbei. It was pointed out that at an average of RMB0.598 per kilometer, tickets of Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway is even dearer than that of Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway (RMB0.58/ km), and is the “most expensive Intercity Railway in the whole country”.

Coaches between Guangzhou and Zhuhai are operating at around RMB60-80 for a one-way ticket and some of the companies are cutting passenger fares to compete with the new Intercity link.

Despite the pricey tickets, the line will be a boon for Zhuhai, which should see many more weekend vacationers pop down from Guangzhou.

If you’re interested in high-speed rail in the PRD, don’t forget to check out our full review of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen section.