Beijing, June 30 (IANS) The first commercial bullet train service in China – between capital Beijing and east coast city Shanghai – was launched Thursday with Premier Wen Jiabao travelling to Shanghai.

Premier Wen attended the opening ceremony in Beijing after which he took the bullet train to Shanghai, Xinhua reported.

Bullet trains on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway travel at about 300 km per hour.

The 1,318-km bullet train trip cuts the travel time between the two cities to under five hours, reported Xinhua.

The rail line, which has been operating on a trial basis since mid-May, has opened one year ahead of schedule.