BEIJING - The high-speed rail route from Beijing to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou will open next month, cutting the 2,200-km journey time by 14 hours, according to the Ministry of Railways.

A trial operation along the Beijing-Zhengzhou section, the last part of the route, began on Sunday morning.

The operation will test facilities, train staff and enhance the crew's emergency response capabilities, according to the ministry.

The Wuhan-Guangzhou part of the high-speed route has been operating since December 2009 and the Zhengzhou-Wuhan section began functioning in September this year.

The entire journey time between Beijing and Guangzhou will be cut to eight hours from 22 hours.