Lanxin High-Speed Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lanzhou–Urumqi High-Speed Railway, also known as Lanxin Second Railway, is a high-speed rail
under construction in northwestern China
. It will connect Lanzhou
in Gansu Province
and Ürümqi
in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
.
Construction work began on November 4, 2009. The 1776 kilometres (1,103.6 mi) railway will take four years to complete, of which, 795 kilometres (494 mi) is in Gansu
, 268 kilometres (166.5 mi) in Qinghai
and 713 kilometres (443 mi) in Xinjiang
. 31 stations
will be built along the line. The project costs 143.5 billion yuan. Upon its completion, an overnight sleeper train is expected to connect Beijing to Urumqi, 3,450 km apart, in less than 12 hours.
Unlike the existing Lanxin railway
, which runs entirely in Gansu and Xinjiang, the new high-speed rail will be routed from Lanzhou to Qinghai Province
to Xining
before heading northwest across the Qilian Mountains into the Hexi Corridor
at Zhangye
. The rail tracks in the section near Qilianshan Tunnel will be at 3,858 meters above sea level, making it the highest high-speed rail track in the world. Trains will run at 350 kilometres per hour on the line.
, the railway will go through the hundred-li wind zone, where desert wind constantly blows most days of a year. In 2007, strong wind overturned a train on the southern branch of Lanxin Railway, and four people were killed. A 67-kilometre long wind-protection gallery will be built in this region.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
under construction in northwestern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It will connect Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
in Gansu Province
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
and Ürümqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
.
Construction work began on November 4, 2009. The 1776 kilometres (1,103.6 mi) railway will take four years to complete, of which, 795 kilometres (494 mi) is in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, 268 kilometres (166.5 mi) in Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
and 713 kilometres (443 mi) in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
. 31 stations
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
will be built along the line. The project costs 143.5 billion yuan. Upon its completion, an overnight sleeper train is expected to connect Beijing to Urumqi, 3,450 km apart, in less than 12 hours.
Unlike the existing Lanxin railway
Lanxin railway
The Lanzhou−Xinjiang Railway or Lanxin Railway is the longest railway in northwestern China. It runs from Lanzhou, Gansu, through the Hexi Corridor, to Ürümqi, in the Xinjiang. It is Xinjiang's only rail link with the rest of China...
, which runs entirely in Gansu and Xinjiang, the new high-speed rail will be routed from Lanzhou to Qinghai Province
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
to Xining
Xining
Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
before heading northwest across the Qilian Mountains into the Hexi Corridor
Hexi Corridor
Hexi Corridor or Gansu Corridor refers to the historical route in Gansu province of China. As part of the Northern Silk Road running northwest from the bank of the Yellow River, it was the most important route from North China to the Tarim Basin and Central Asia for traders and the military. The...
at Zhangye
Zhangye
-Administration:Zhangye has 1 urban district, 4 counties, 1 autonomous county, 97 towns, and 977 villages.-Demographics:Zhangye has a total population of 1,260,000, only 260,000 being urban residents...
. The rail tracks in the section near Qilianshan Tunnel will be at 3,858 meters above sea level, making it the highest high-speed rail track in the world. Trains will run at 350 kilometres per hour on the line.
Wind shed
Near ShanshanShanshan
Shanshan is the Chinese name for a kingdom that existed roughly from 200 BCE-1000 CE at the north-eastern end of the Taklamakan Desert including the great, but now mostly dry, salt lake known as Lop Nur....
, the railway will go through the hundred-li wind zone, where desert wind constantly blows most days of a year. In 2007, strong wind overturned a train on the southern branch of Lanxin Railway, and four people were killed. A 67-kilometre long wind-protection gallery will be built in this region.