New high-speed railway for major southwestern cities starts construction

Construction has begun on a new high-speed railway linking southwestern China's two major metropolitan cities Chongqing and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, adding a new high-speed rail line to the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the national railway operator China State Railway Group said on Monday.

The 292-kilometer line, with a designated speed of 350 km per hour, will have eight stations, six of them newly built.

Upon completion in 2027, it will be the fourth line between the two cities.

The new line will also link to multiple high-speed lines including the Xi'an-Chengdu and Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed lines, improving the national railway network in the southwest. It will also boost social and economic development in the region, the company said.