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.

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 ($8.86 billion).

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