She's Got a Ticket to Rise: BJ-Tianjin Train Fares to Increase

It will become more expensive to travel around Beijing's increasingly-connected transportation routes as local railway authorities announced a ticket price hike.

Beginning May 27, a first class ticket for the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway will increase to 88 yuan (USD 14), an over 30 percent increase from the original cost of 65.5 yuan (USD 10.4). Likewise, special tickets on the Beijing-Tianjin line will increase from 93.5 to 99 yuan.

No fare increase has been announced for Beijing-Tianjin second class seats, which remain the same at 54.5 yuan, said the China Railway Beijing Group.

With 92 trains departing from Beijing South Railway Station for Tianjin Railway Station, the total journey takes just half an hour to complete.

Last April saw a number of fare adjustments for high-speed train tickets that included a 50 percent increase for most first-class seats on trains traveling between Ningbo and Shenzhen.

Although the Beijing-Shanghai connection has been hailed as "the world's most-profitable high-speed train route," much of China's other railway lines have been operating at a loss. As China Daily reported last year, many routes are still generating deficits due to their large infrastructure investment, high operational costs, and outdated pricing regulations.

China's railway authorities recently announced a new line of "Revival" trains that will allow commuters to travel between Beijing and Hangzhou in 4.5 hours.

Image: Weibo.com

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