Journalists gathers beside the high speed train of the new 2,298-kilometre (1,425-mile) line between Beijing and Guangzhou as it waits to start off in Beijing on December 26, 2012. China started service on December 26 on the world’s longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country’s rapid and — sometimes troubled — super fast rail network. The opening of this new line means passengers will be whisked from the capital to the southern commercial hub in just eight hours, compared with the 22 hours previously required. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
