HARBIN -- A high-speed railway between two cities in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, known for its high latitudes and biting cold winters, began a trial operation on Monday.

A bullet train departed from the provincial capital of Harbin at 5:18 am to the city of Qiqihar, according to the Harbin Railway Bureau.

The railway, with the highest latitude among all high-speed railways in China, will be put into official operation in August, more than five years after the construction started on the 281-km route.

With a designated speed of 250 kilometers per hour and eight stops, the rail is expected to carry about eight million passengers annually.

The trains have been modified to adapt to temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and resist adverse weather, such as strong winds, heavy rain, snow and fog.

In late June, the county's first high-speed railway to cross mountainous areas began operation, linking Fuzhou city, East China's Fujian province, and Hefei, Anhui province.

After China's first bullet train was built in 2008, high-speed rail has expanded prodigiously, with more than 16,000 kilometers of fast track in operation and another 10,000 kilometers under construction.