China on Tuesday opened a new high-speed rail (HSR) line to link Dandong, which borders the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The Shenyang-Dandong Highway Railway will cut the train-travel time between the two cities to about 1 hour from 3 and a half hours, according to the Shenyang Railway Administration.

Trains on the 208-km line will run at a speed of 250 km/h.

Officials with the Liaoning provincial development and reform commission say the HSR will facilitate travel, unlock economic potential and enhance China-DPRK transportation capability.

More than 10,000 people visit DPRK via Dandong, the largest Chinese city bordering DPRK, each year. In May, a train tour to DPRK via Dandong was launched to cater to the Chinese tourists' rising interest in the neighboring country.