The first electricity-powered train began transporting cargo Sunday from the Shanghai West Railway Station to Nanjing in a final test of the new electrification of the Beijing-Shanghai line.

Passenger service between Shanghai and Beijing is expected to begin on July 1.

The line will be officially operational next month, when 40 electric cargo trains will run on the upgraded rail, according to the Shanghai Railway Administration.

"It will greatly improve the transport capacity of the Beijing-Shanghai line with more powerful locomotives and reduced operation intervals," said the administration in a statement. It didn't say whether the operation would mean higher speeds.

The 1,464-kilometer line is the world's busiest line for passengers and transport, reaching seven cities and provinces.

The electrification project is to improve its transport efficiency.

The new trains' traction capacity is 5,500 tons, an increase of 10 percent. Operation intervals will be shortened to six minutes from seven minutes.

The conversion from diesel trains involves the installation of high-voltage electric wires above the rails and upgrading the control and communication networks. The power system went online on Saturday evening after 11 months' construction.

The old trains will be gradually replaced and used on other lines.

The administration also revealed the operational schedule of 64 trains at the newly upgraded Shanghai South Railway Station, which will open to the public from next month.

Passengers to southern cities like Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chongqing are reminded to note station transfers.

(Shanghai Daily June 26, 2006)