TIANJIN -- A new high-speed railway that connects the two northern port cities of Tianjin and Qinhuangdao was put into operation on Sunday, railway authorities said.

The railway line extends 287 km and runs through 14 districts and counties in North China's Hebei province and Tianjin municipality, with speeds of up to 350 km per hour, according to the Beijing Railway Bureau.

The maximum speed will be set at 300 km per hour during the initial stage.

The whole journey with nine stops takes one hour and 35 minutes. The fastest travel time between Tianjin West and Qinhuangdao, with fewer stops, will be one hour and 11 minutes, almost half of the previous time.

Construction of the rail line started on November 8, 2008 and testing began in November 2013.

The Tianjin-Qinghuangdao railway marks that high-speed railway lines in China's northeastern provinces have been linked with the country's high-speed rail network.

It also cuts the travel time for passengers traveling between south or east of the country and Northeast China provinces.

Up till now, China has 34 high-speed rail lines with the length accounting for one tenth of the country's total railway operation mileage.