Beijing's first auto train ready to serve

Many people have the idea of traveling around another city in their very own car. To do this, besides taking a long-distance drive with its accompanying traffic congestion and stress, people in Beijing now have another option to take their car to a destination: by having their vehicles transported by rail.

According to the Beijing Railway Bureau, the first auto train is scheduled to serve the route between Beijing and Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, for the upcoming one-week National Day holiday. The price varies for different cars and starts at 3,000 yuan ($489) per car for a round trip.

The service hotline (51033322) opened yesterday and people can dial for details and to reserve a spot for their vehicle. According to Beijing Morning Post, some citizens have successfully booked the service and the line has been kept busy.

Beijing is 1,300 kilometers from Hangzhou. A round trip driving between the two cities costs around 1,940 yuan in gasoline and 1,080 yuan in expressway tolls, which is exempted during the national holidays, according to the paper's calculation.

Car owners will take a separate train along with the auto train to arrive at the destination. The railway bureau said that insurance would be offered for each car to insure its safety during transportation.