Dunhuang tourism train begins operation

With a toot of its steam whistle, the Y667 Dunhuang Tourism Train set off from Lanzhou Station in Gansu province at 6 pm on July 10. It arrived in Dunhuang city at 6:48 am on July 11 after a journey of 12 hours and 48 minutes, Lanzhou Morning News reported.

Conductors of the Dunhuang Tourism Train dress up as Silk Road Goddesses, providing tourists with a visual feast on the train’s first journey on July 10. [Photo/gscn.com.cn]

To promote Lanzhou’s railway bureau and broaden its influence, the 18 Y667 trains have been thoroughly upgraded, from the train body all the way to its bonus facilities. In addition to advanced soft sleepers, soft sleepers, hard sleepers and dining cars, each train boasts a bar car and WIFI.

The Y667 train also runs twice often — every day instead of every two days — as of July 1.

For the first train’s inaugural trip, its female conductors dressed up as Silk Road Goddesses to provide tourists with a fun visual feast. At the dining car, special Western-flavored food such as Da Pan Ji (chicken and noodles) from Xinjiang, pepper beef fillet, and mutton shashlik were offered.

A tourist boards the Dunhuang Tourist Train for its first journey in Lanzhou city, Gansu province on July 10. [Photo/gscn.com.cn]

Special seats and toilets were added for disabled tourists, and video equipment and an environmentally friendly kitchen made for a more luxurious experience.

A tourist surnamed Chen from Hunan province was greatly impressed by the train’s new features and services. “Taking the first train to Dunhuang is the biggest surprise of my journey! This is the most luxurious train I’ve ever taken,” he said.

Liu Weiping, governor of Gansu province, attended the train’s opening ceremony. He also went inside to see the facilities for himself.

A waiter serves beers to tourists in the dining car aboard the Dunhuang Tourism Train on July 10. [Photo/gscn.com.cn]

Edited by Noelle Mateer