SHANGHAI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A train designed to run at speeds up to 250 km per hour left Shanghai for Suzhou early Wednesday morning, ushering in the era of high-speed rail travel in the world's fastest growing economy.

Nationwide, 280 high-speed trains left stations on their first high-speed runs on Wednesday. By the end of the year there will be more than 500 high-speed trains in service.

Train D460 left Shanghai at 5:38 a.m. and arrived in Suzhou 39 minutes later, cutting travel time for the 112 km journey almost in half.

"It felt like we were traveling on an airplane," said 78-year-old Chen Lijuan, a native of Suzhou who lives in Shanghai." In the past it took more than an hour to get here."

Liu Dongwei, the 38-year-old driver of the train, has seen six "speed boosts" on Chinese railways since 1997.

"The speed limit for trains has risen dramatically, from 40 to 50 kilometers per hour to the current 250 kilometers per hour," he said.

When Liu started his career in 1993, he shoveled coal into a steam locomotive.

"My job has become easier as it's more like operating an airplane," Liu said proudly of his train, which is powered by multiple electric engines.

Chinese railway officials said last year that China accounted for a quarter of the world's total railway transport volume, while its total rail lines were only 6 percent of the world's total length.

"The sixth speed lift will boost passenger and cargo capacity by more than 18 percent and 12 percent respectively," said Hu Yadong, vice-minister of railways.