(Yicai Global) Aug. 21 -- Fuxing, China's next-generation bullet train, is pegged to become the world's fastest high-speed railroad in commercial operation at 350 kilometers an hour.

China Railway Corp. will add the Fuxing to the timetable for the Shanghai-Beijing line from Sept. 21, cutting the journey time between the two cities to just four and a half hours, state-owned broadcaster CCTV reported yesterday.

The bullet trains are made to Chinese standards and integrate a large number of new technologies. They have greatly improved in terms of safety, economy, comfort and energy saving, China Railway said.

"When the speed of the trains is ramped up to 350 kilometers an hour, costs will increase by about one third," said Sheng Guangzu, former general manager of China Railway. "These costs come mostly from increased electricity, worn parts and maintenance costs."

However, making rail a more competitive transport mode against air travel should see people willing to pay the higher prices.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railroad, dubbed the Golden Line, links the country's two largest metropolitan areas, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River Delta.