Beijing-Shenyang high speed railway is expected to open at the end of 2020, shortening the travel time to 2.5 hours, according to rail officials.

Construction work on the route’s final tunnel -- the Lihuading tunnel in the Miyun district of Beijing -- was completed on Dec 12.

According to officials from the China Railway Beijing Group Co Ltd, the Chengde-Shenyang section went into service on Dec 29, 2018, while the Beijing-Chengde section is still under construction.

The Beijing-Shenyang high speed railway, extending 698.29 kilometers, starts from Beijing Xinghuo Railway Station and ends at Shenyang Railway Station.

It runs by way of Shunyi, Huairou and the Miyun districts in Beijing, Chengde city in Hebei province and Chaoyang, Fuxin, and Shenyang in Liaoning province, officials said.