China Rolls Out World's Longest Bullet Train Route

China has chosen December 26—Mao Zedong's birthday—to officially open the world's longest high-speed rail route, the BBC reports. The 1,428-mile line between Guangzhou and Beijing will cut the travel time between the two cities from 22 hours to eight, with bullet trains traveling at 187mph. China has been rapidly expanding its high-speed rail network, but it hasn't always been a smooth ride: 40 people were killed in a high-speed train crash last year and the railways minister who oversaw the expansion is awaiting trial on corruption charges. (More China stories.)