China green lights first underwater high-speed railway

China has just green lighted a project to build the first underwater bullet train route, reports CNN.

The line will connect Ningbo, a port city south of Shanghai, to Zhoushan, an archipelago off the east coast.

The proposed underwater tunnel will be a part of the 77-kilometer Yong-Zhou railway plan (Yong is the nickname of Ningbo) to boost tourism and create a two-hour-commute zone within Zhejiang Province, CNN reports.

The feasibility study of the Yong-Zhou Railway plan was approved by Beijing in November.

Within the 77 km (47.8 miles) railway route, some 70.92 km of tracks will be newly built, including a 16.2 km undersea section.

The Yong-Zhou railway will connect Ningbo east station and Zhoushan (Baiquan) station by high-speed trains that hit a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

The new route, connecting to the existing vast high-speed rail network in China, will transport travelers from Hangzhou -- capital city of Zhejiang -- to Zhoushan in 80 minutes.

The current journey takes about 4.5 hours by bus or a 2.5-hour drive by personal vehicle.

In addition to the undersea tunnel, a road-rail bridge will be built to link parts of the archipelago.

The project is expected to begin next year and is due for completion in 2025, CNN reported.

Zhoushan, some three hours' drive south of Shanghai, is still relatively under-the-radar among international tourists.

But in terms of business, it's one of the most noteworthy new state-level areas in China.