BEIJING: China opened the first stretch of a new high-speed railway in the western region of Xinjiang yesterday, a milestone in the central government’s efforts to promote economic development in restive hinterlands and bind them closer to the rest of China.
The 530km stretch between Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, and Hami is the first stage of the 1,775km Lanxin railway connecting Urumqi to Lanzhou, the capital of central western Gansu Province.
The official Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that the full length of the passenger railway is on schedule to open by the end of the year.
Trains on the Urumqi-Hami leg could reach more than 200kph, halving the travel time between the two cities to three hours.
Reuters
