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Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway

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Lanxin High-Speed Railway, also known as Lanxin Railway Second Dual-Track (兰新铁路第二双线), is a high-speed railway connecting Lanzhou, Gansu and Urumqi, Xinjiang, in the People's Republic of China.

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

Unlike the existing Lanxin Railway, whose eastern section runs entirely in the Hexi Corridor within Gansu provincial borders, north of the Qilian Mountains, the new Lanxin High-Speed Railway will be routed from Lanzhou first to Xining (Qinghai Province), along the existing Lanqing railway; from Xining it will go northwest, to Zhangye (in the Hexi corridor in Gansu), crossing the Qilian mountain range (Qilianshan) on the way (roughly as the China National Highway 227 does now). The rail tracks in the section near Qilianshan Tunnel will be at 3600 meters above sea level, making the railway the highest high-speed railway in the world. Trains will run at 350 km/h on the line.[2]

Near Turpan, the railway will go through the famous 100-li wind region, where wind constantly blow in most days of a year. In 2007, strong wind in that area overturned a train on the south branch of Lanxin Railway, and four people were killed.[3] A 67-km long wind-protection gallery will be built in this region.

References

  1. ^ "兰新铁路第二双线今日在乌鲁木齐开工" (in Chinese). November 4, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  2. ^ 兰新铁路第二双线新疆段春节施工热火朝天
  3. ^ Strong Wind Derails Train, Killing 4