Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed line nears completion

A portion of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed line. [Photo by Ni Shubin/Asianewsphoto]

The Xinjiang section of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed railway will go into service on November 16. It will be the first high-speed service in China's far west, an official of the Urumqi Railway Bureau said on Wednesday.

"High-speed rail in Xinjiang plays a crucial role in maintaining social stability in the region and serving national defense missions," said Pan Xinxian, the bureau's chief engineer.

The line in Xinjiang is 710 km long and designed to support high-speed trains solely for transporting passengers with a top speed of 250 km/h. At the start, trains will run between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, and Hami city at 200 km/h.

When the Lanzhou-Xinjiang line is in full operation, at the end of this year, it will reduce the existing travel time from Urumqi to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, by half to about 9 hours.