Authority limits max intercity rail speed to 200kmph   

城际铁路设计规范发布 限定设计时速不超200公里

Photo taken on Dec 17, 2014, shows a intercity train is ready to go in Henan province. (File photo: Chinanews.com)

(ECNS) - Intercity rail speeds should not exceed 200 kilometers per hour, according to a new specification approved by the National Railway Administration (NRA).

The Intercity Rail Design Specification, China's first intercity rail construction standard, will come into effect on March 1, 2015, the Beijing Times reported.

Intercity rail service is an important part of the urban transportation system that normally covers short distances between city clusters, according to the NRA.

Intercity rail provides short-distance travel of 50 to 200 kilometers and requires the distance between every station to be 5 to 20 kilometers.

To optimize the technical standards of intercity railways, trains are normally composed of less than eight carriages.

The NRA said it received more than 700 opinions before introducing the specification. 

The administration also unveiled the country's first design specification standards for high-speed rail links in late December 2014.