Bengbu has grown from a sleepy fishing village into an increasingly modern city in the center of Anhui Province when it connected the Jinpu Railway line from Tianjin to Pukou, Jiangsu Province, which began operations 100 years ago.

Now, a century later, Bengbu will again become an important juncture on a rail line between two cities. Many people hope the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway will open a new page for Bengbu and give the city a similar jolt to its economy.

The people of Bengbu "welcome investors at home and abroad to start businesses here," said Chen Qitao, the city's Party chief.

Chen Qitao, Party chief of Bengbu, Anhui Province. [Wang Yanfang/China.org.cn]

On the new line linking China's two metropolises, which will begin operations at the end of this month, Bengbu South Station will be an important stop, with 47 trains scheduled to stop here daily. The new line will cut the time needed to reach Beijing and Shanghai by almost half the current time, to three hours and one hour, respectively.

 

Bengbu South Station will also be a stop on the Beijing-Fuzhou high-speed line scheduled to open next year. The new traffic could turn the newly built Bengbu South Station into one of the most important hubs for high-speed rail lines. The station is set to open just ahead of the Beijing-Shanghai line's maiden run and will present Bengbu as a multi-functional, highly efficient transportation hub on the Huaihe River.

Bengbu celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the railroad in the city on June 15. [Wang Yanfang/China.org.cn]

Bengbu is also trying to attract investors and talent. The central government has given the city preferential policies to boost development and upgrade its aging industries. So far, recent centennial celebrations of Bengbu's railways have attracted almost 80 projects worth 20 billion yuan in industries including new materials, new energy, textiles and food processing.

 

"The opening of the railway in Bengbu for 100 years is a turning point, a new milestone in the history of Bengbu," Chen said. "The city faces both new opportunities of development, which means a new beginning. Bengbu will be built into the central city giving an impetus to the whole area."