Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway

The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway, also known as Lanzhou–Xinjiang Passenger Railway or Lanxin Second Railway (simplified Chinese: 兰新铁路第二双线; traditional Chinese: 蘭新鐵路第二雙線; pinyin: Lánxīn tiělù dìèr shuāngxiàn), is a high-speed rail in Northwestern China from Lanzhou in Gansu Province to Ürümqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway 兰新铁路第二双线
Overview
Type	High-speed rail Heavy rail
System	China Railway
Status	Operational
Locale	People's Republic of China Gansu Qinghai Xinjiang
Termini	Lanzhou railway station Ürümqi railway station
Stations	31
Operation
Opened	November 16, 2014 (Ürümqi–Qumul)[1] December 2014 (Qumul–Lanzhou)
Operator(s)	China Railway Lanzhou Group China Railway Qingzang Group China Railway Ürümqi Group
Technical
Line length	1,776 km (1,104 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	7,000 m (22,966 ft)
Operating speed	200–250 km/h (124–155 mph)[2][3]
Maximum incline	2.0%
Route map Baotou–Lanzhou railway Longhai railway Lanzhou Baoji–Lanzhou high-speed railway Lanzhou West Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport ICR Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Gaojiashan Tunnel Yellow River Bridge Fuchuan Tunnel Chenjiawan West Gansu / Qinghai border Minhe South Ledu South Huangshui River Haidong West Xining Caojiabao Airport Bridge over Lanzhou–Qinghai railway Xining Qinghai–Tibet railway Datong West Dabanshan Tunnel Datonghe Bridge Menyuan Qilianshan 1# Tunnel Liuhuanggou Bridge Qilianshan 2# Tunnel Junmachang Qinghai / Gansu border Minle Bridge over G30 expressway Zhangye West Linze South Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Gaotai South Qingshui North Jiuquan South Bridge over G30 expressway Jiayuguan South Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Jiayuguan Tunnel Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Qingquan South Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Yumen Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Bridge over G30 expressway Liugou South Shibandun South Liuyuan South Bridge over G30 expressway Hongliuhe South Hongliuhe Bridge Gansu / Xinjiang border Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Yandun East Tudun No. 2 Interchange Bridge Hami Interchange Bridge Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Hami Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Liushuquan South Shisanjianfang Bridge Hongceng South Tuha Bridge over G30 expressway Shanshan North Turpan North Turpan Jiaohe Airport Daheyan Dabancheng Tunnel Dabancheng Wetland Bridge Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Yanhu West Bridge over G216 expressway Bridge over Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway Ürümqi South Ürümqi

Construction work began on November 4, 2009. The 1,776-kilometre (1,104 mi) railway took four years to complete, of which, 795 kilometres (494 mi) is in Gansu, 268 kilometres (167 mi) in Qinghai and 713 kilometres (443 mi) in Xinjiang. Track laying for the line was completed on November 16, 2013.[4] 31 stations will be built along the line. The project costs 143.5 billion yuan.[5]

Unlike the existing Lanxin railway, which runs entirely in Gansu and Xinjiang, the new high-speed rail is routed from Lanzhou to Xining in Qinghai Province before heading northwest across the Qilian Mountains into the Hexi Corridor at Zhangye. The rail tracks in the section near Qilianshan No. 2 Tunnel is at 3,607 metres (11,834 ft) above sea level,[6] making it the highest high-speed rail track in the world.

Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway is shown on the map as light-blue color line.

The first high speed train traveled over this line on June 3, 2014. This was a test train with a media contingent with full revenue service not due to start until the end of 2014.[7][8][9] The first segment of the line, the Ürümqi-Qumul part, was inaugurated on November 16, 2014.[10] This high-speed railway segment is the first ever railway of that kind to ever exist in the Xinjiang autonomous region. The rest of the line opened on December 26, 2014. The line cuts train travel time between the two cities from 20 hours to 12 hours.

On November 30, 2017, a connection between the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway and the "conventional" Southern Xinjiang Railway will open near Daynhe Town (near Turpan Railway Station). This will allow passenger trains traveling from Urumqi to destinations in Southern Xinjiang (such as Korla) to use the Ürümqi-Turpan section of the high-speed line before switching to the Southern Xinjiang Railway.[11]