BEIJING - The world's longest high-speed rail route from Beijing to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou will open on Dec 26,the birthday of late Chairman Mao Zedong, the Ministry of Railways said Friday.

The 2,200-plus km new route will cut travel time between Beijing and Guangzhou from 22 hours to around eight.

Designed with a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, the railway has 35 stops in major cities, including Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Changsha.

The high-speed line is expected to increase the cargo transport capacity between Beijing and Wuhan by 20 million tons, according to the MOR announcement.