A newly inaugurated express rail service between the Chinese capital and the city of Tianjin is having an effect on economy and on lifestyles in the two cities.

A newly inaugurated express rail service between the Chinese capital and the city of Tianjin is having an effect on economy and on lifestyles in the two cities.(Xinhua photo)

Trains, running at fifteen minute intervals have cut travel time between the two cities to only 30 minutes.

Ge Nan is an Internet engineer. He works at an IT company in Tianjin. At 7 AM he was having breakfast at home in Beijing. Now, at 9 o'clock, he's at work in his office in Tianjin. The new 30 minute express service virtually turns the two cities into one.

A third of the company's employees are like Ge Nan. They leave work in Tianjin every afternoon to travel to their homes in other cities. Tianjin formerly served as the company's production base. But after the launch of the express rail service, the company decided to transfer its Research and Development operations to Tianjin as well.

Ge Nan, IT Worker, said, "The express train facilitates our staff -- and business exchanges. Our human resources and logistics costs have also been reduced."

The construction of the express railway precipitated about 2,000 Beijing enterprises to move to Tianjin. But there's also an increase in tourist traffic, as more and more Beijing residents head to Tianjin for a relaxing weekend.

Zhang Jian, Beijing Citizen, said, "The train is very fast. We arrive in Tianjin very quickly. It is exciting to see the sea."

Some Beijing residents are buying homes in Tianjin, where property prices are much lower.