Growth on track

The new high-speed rail in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is expected to form a pivotal part of a long-term, cross-continent link to European countries to boost trade ties.

High-speed rail connecting northern Europe via Russia and southern Europe via Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, similar to the ancient Silk Road, is being planned, with Xinjiang serving as the link to inland China, Beijing Jiaotong University professor Wang Mengshu said.

"China's high-speed rail technology in terms of construction and production are mature. The key challenge lies in negotiations with our neighbors. So far, that has been moving along well," Wang said.