A Beijing-Shanghai high-speed night train is expected to debut next month, reducing travel time by more than 2 hours, a local newspaper reported today.

The Youth Daily report said railway authorities haven’t decided ticket prices or departure times yet for the approximate 9h15m trip. However, tickets are likely to be more than 500 yuan (US$73) considering the price of existing trains.

The highest current price for sleeper tickets between the two cities is 499 yuan.

One train will likely depart about 9:45pm in each city and arrive at their destinations about 7am the next day, according to the report. The shortest travel time for other trains between the two cities is 11.5 hours.

The trains are likely to be attractive to business passengers as they are comfortable and cheaper than flights, the report said.

(Shanghai Daily November 24, 2008)