BEIJING -- The operating length of China's high-speed railway network had exceeded 40,000 km by the end of 2021, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The Anqing-Jiujiang high-speed railway section, which was put into service on Thursday, is the most recent section to start operations in China.

With the launch of the section, Hefei, the capital city of East China's Anhui province, and Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi province, can be directly connected by high-speed railway services.

The traveling time between the two cities can be cut to two hours and 22 minutes.

The total length of China's railways in operation currently stands at more than 150,000 km, the company said.