Laying of the last railway tracks of the Golmud-Korla Railway was completed on July 21, setting a solid foundation for its inaugural year of service.
The railway was primarily designed by China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).
Starting from Golmud in Northwest China's Qinghai province, the 1213.7-kilometer railway passes the northern Kunlun Mountains and the southern Qaidam Basin and then goes into the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Extending 708 kilometers into Xinjiang, the railway runs over the Altun Mountains, passes Ruoqiang and Yuli counties and terminates at Korla.
Once operable, it will shorten travel time between Golmud and Korla to 12 hours.
The railway is expected to be the third artery linking Xinjiang and the other regions. The other two are the Lanzhou-Xinjiang and the Ejina-Hami railways.
It will improve the railway network in western China and promote railway transport capacity in South Xinjiang, helping to advance exports from the region and increase exchanges with other areas.
The improvements described will play a role in the economic growth of western China.
A view of the Taitema Lake railway bridge, the longest bridge of the Golmud-Korla railway [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The square-shaped sand-control grass along the Golmud-Korla Railway [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
