Manufacturing of China's first self-developed high-speed railcar was completed Monday in Dalian City and will soon be put into operation between the city proper and the suburban tourist spot of Golden Stone Beach.

The vehicle was produced by the Dalian Locomotive Factory in Liaoning Province, northeast China. The factory will provide ten railcars to the city according to a contract valued at 220 million yuan (US$26.6 million).

The railcar has 176 seats and can carry a maximum of 1,054 passengers. It can reach the highest speed of 100 kilometer per hour within a minute and come to a halt in the same time.

At present, a dozen Chinese cities have developed or are developing their own urban railway system and more than 40 cities are planning to build a railway system, in a bid to ease traffic jam.

( eastday.com July 15, 2002 )