China train ride awaits Mamata

TT, Calcutta: The Chinese authorities are planning to give Mamata Banerjee an experience of Chinese high speed train during her visit to the land of the dragon later this month.

"The Bengal chief minister is expected to travel from Beijing to Jinan and from Jinan to Shanghai on the Gaotie, which travels at a speed of about 350km per hour," said Chinese consul general in Calcutta Ma Zhanwu.

According to reports, China has the world's longest high speed rail network, with about 22,000km of track in use. The 427km distance from Beijing to Jinan is typically covered in less than two hours.

Mamata's visit, from June 22 to 30, has created a buzz in Chinese government ranks, said the consul general.

"She is one of the most important chief ministers from India to travel to China," said Ma at a press meet on Friday.

"Many provincial leaders and industry captains have invited her over the years as did the vice-president during a visit to Calcutta in 2015," he added.

She had accepted an invitation last year too but her visit apparently got stuck in the quagmire of India-China bilateral relations.