BEIJING, Aug. 5(Xinhuanet)-- Beijing will build up a direct underground shuttle route between the national capital's two train stations, in an effort to release the heavy ground traffic pressure in its downtown area where the stations are located.

Costing 2.39 billion yuan(some 29 million US dollars), the route will be 9.1 kilometers long, including 7.2 kilometers of tunnel length, according to the official website of the State Development and Reform Commission.

Beijing's two leading train stations, Beijing's western railway station and Beijing station, sit in the city's central district and have millions of passengers traveling every year, causing traffic congestions, the project's executive department, the Ministry of Railway said.

"The non-stop, fast and convenient shuttle train will greatly ease the traffic tension in Beijing's central area," the ministry said.

According to the report, this direct link will start construction by the end of this year and be put into practice in 2008, the year the summer Olympic will open in Beijing. In 2015, the tunnel will hold 85 pairs of trains traveling between the two stations per day, transferring tens of millions of passengers annually. Enditem