New railway connecting northern, southern Xinjiang starts full construction

URUMQI -- The Yining-Aksu railway in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region commenced full construction Tuesday.

Upon completion, the railway will slash the railway travel duration between northern and southern Xinjiang from 16 hours to about eight hours, according to China Railway Urumqi Group.

The single-track electrified railway is designed for both passenger and freight transport with a speed of 160 km per hour, and is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of 2032.

Railway travel between northern and southern Xinjiang has involved making a long detour via Turpan. To open up the new direct interconnection route, the pre-construction section of the Yining-Aksu railway was launched in September 2025.

The Yining-Aksu railway will fill the gap in the network in the hinterland of the Tianshan Mountains, effectively cutting travel times between northern and southern Xinjiang, while also making it possible to transport more agricultural and livestock products, as well as industrial and mining products, along the line faster, said Li Quanzhi from the railway construction headquarters.