Which railway became the first in China to operate commercial trains at 350 km/h in 2008?

The Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway became the first railway in China to operate commercial trains at 350 km/h in 2008.

The line opened on August 1, 2008, shortly before the Beijing Summer Olympics. It was built to provide a fast connection between Beijing and Tianjin, two major cities about 117 kilometres apart. The railway uses dedicated passenger tracks and was designed for frequent, rapid intercity journeys.

Commercial operation at 350 km/h made the line a landmark in China’s high-speed railway development. It demonstrated that very high-speed service could function on a busy short-distance corridor rather than only on long intercity routes.

The railway is different from the much longer Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway, which opened in 2011. The Beijing–Tianjin route is an intercity line focused on regional travel and short journey times.