Aerial photo taken on Sept 21, 2019 shows a steel girder being lifted by a crane at the construction site of the Pingtan Strait Road-rail Bridge in southeast China's Fujian province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

FUZHOU - The Fuzhou-Pingtan railway in east China's Fujian province was opened to traffic on Saturday after seven years of construction, making it more convenient for Taiwan compatriots to travel to the mainland.

The 88-km railway, designed to support high-speed trains traveling at a speed of up to 200 km per hour, connects the provincial capital of Fuzhou with the island county of Pingtan, where the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone was set up in 2009 to facilitate cross-Straits exchange and cooperation.

The Fuzhou-Pingtan railway will link Pingtan with major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen through the transportation hub in Fuzhou, said Li Fei, an official with the China Railway Nanchang Group

ALSO READ: Pingtan takes lead in service to Taiwan residents

The Fuzhou-Pingtan railway will link Pingtan with major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen through the transportation hub in Fuzhou, said Li Fei, an official with the China Railway Nanchang Group Co, Ltd.

The railway will facilitate personnel exchanges across the Straits and further promote the development and opening-up of Pingtan, said Yang Ping-hao, a Taiwan entrepreneur in Pingtan.

READ MORE: New sea route opens between Pingtan, Taiwan

Taiwan compatriots can now travel more conveniently to many parts of the mainland after arriving in Pingtan by sea, he said. The pilot zone currently houses around 1,000 Taiwan-invested firms.

Starting Jan 20, up to 17 sets of bullet trains will run on the line every day, up from 9.5 sets plying currently.