TOPSHOTS The high speed train of the new 2,298-kilometre (1,425-mile) line between Beijing and Guangzhou waits to start its journey in Beijing on December 26, 2012. China started service on December 26 on the world’s longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country’s rapid and — sometimes troubled — super fast rail network. The opening of this new line means passengers will be whisked from the capital to the southern commercial hub in just eight hours, compared with the 22 hours previously required. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO