(Yicai Global) May 22 -- A 10,500-ton coal train has started its operations in China's northern regions of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, which is expected to reduce the use of coal trucks while relieving traffic congestion and air pollution in these areas. 

The length of the train is nearly 1,4 kilometers and it can carry 210,000 tons of coal every day, which is equivalent to over 3,500 trucks used for coal transport per day, reported China Daily's website People.cn. 

The new machinery will play an important role in transferring coal resources from Inner Mongolia to eastern China. The gigantic train runs a total journey of about 290 kilometers from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia to Caofeidian West Station, in Hebei province, and the route takes about 270 minutes.

The technology upgrade ushers in a new era for Tangxu Railway, China's first six-mile railway for coal transport in Tangshan, Hebei province, built in 1881, the report said. State-owned China Railway Beijing Group Co. began to improve the infrastructure and the equipment of the Tangshan-Hohhot Line in March to accommodate the new train.

Editor: Emmi Laine