China Launches 350 kmph Bullet Train Through Qinling, Slashes Travel Time by 6 Hours
China has launched a new high-speed railway line through the Qinling Mountains, with trains operating at speeds of up to 350 kmph. The service began on Tuesday with the departure of train G3966 from the newly opened Xi'an East Railway Station, marking the start of operations on the Xi'an-Shiyan railway.
The line connects Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in northwest China, with Shiyan in Hubei Province in central China. According to state-run news agency Xinhua, the 257-kilometre route reduces travel time between the two cities by more than six hours compared to previous rail services.
The new railway also integrates with the existing Wuhan-Shiyan high-speed line, shortening the journey between Xi'an and Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, to just 2 hours and 41 minutes. This improved connectivity is expected to boost economic and social ties between central and western China.