Stewardesses and travellers pose for pictures on a train in southwest China's Yunnan Province, July 1, 2018. The new express rail line linking the cities of Kunming and Dali of Yunnan came into operation here on Sunday. The 328-km railway allows high-speed trains to run at 200 km per hour. Travel time between Kunming and Dali, one of the most popular tourist destinations of the province, is cut from more than five hours to two hours. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

KUNMING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A new rail line went into operation in southwest China's Yunnan Province Sunday, linking capital Kunming with Dali, a tourist city known for its scenery.

The first bullet train left Kunming Railway Station at 8:12 a.m. The 328-km line allows trains to run at 200 km per hour, according to China Railway Kunming Group.

The construction took more than five years. Travel time between Kunming and Dali has been cut from over five hours to less than two hours.

"In the same time it takes to go from downtown Kunming to the suburbs by car, you can arrive in Dali with its fresh air and beautiful scenery," said Liu Mingzhu, a 60-year-old Kunming resident who took the first train on Sunday.

The operation of the railway means the western part of Yunnan, a popular tourist destination, is now linked to the national high-speed railway networks.