In this Dec 25, 2020 photo, a high-speed train enters Yinchuan station in Ningxia Hui autonomous region during a trial. (DING BANNONG / FOR CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

BEIJING - The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, has approved the construction of a high-speed railway in north China.

The 342-km rail line with 12 stations will link the Xiong'an New Area, China's "city of the future" in Hebei province, with the city of Xinzhou in Shanxi province.

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Trains are designed to run at speeds of 350 km per hour on the tracks, and the project's total investment stands at 57.24 billion yuan (about US$8.86 billion).

The Beijing-Xiong'an intercity railway, connecting the Chinese capital with the new area, came into operation in December 2020.