Westbound train for migrant workers departs from Gansu station

A train linking Northwest China's Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region started its first run in the New Year on March 17.

The special train number 3669 was launched by Lanzhou railway bureau with the aim of serving migrant workers.

The train departed from Tianshui station in Tianshui, the second largest city in Gansu and stopped via 15 stations. The stations en-route includes several cities in Gansu such as Linxia and Wuwei before its terminus in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's capital of Urumqi.

Passengers try to catch the 3669 train in Tianshui station in Gansu province. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

The special train will run for a month and it carried around 2,700 passengers this time. The train takes 31 hours to arrive in Urumqi and a one-way seat costs as little as 122 yuan ($19.68). The cheap pricing and convenient service make it the first option for many people who are eager to find jobs in Xinjiang.

Lanzhou railway bureau started to add more westbound trains for migrant workers in 2000, when an increasing number of people from provinces such as Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi and Sichuan began seeking work opportunities in Xinjiang. The rapid development of Xinjiang’s economy continues to attract more domestic migrants to make a living.

Passengers wait to board a westward train from Tianshui city in Gansu to Urumqi city in Xinjiang. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

 Edited by Jacob Hooson