Track laying on the Wuwei-Zhangye section of the Lanzhou-Zhangye High-speed Railway begins on Oct 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Track laying on the Wuwei-Zhangye section of the Lanzhou-Zhangye High-speed Railway has begun in Shandan county, Zhangye, Gansu province.

The Lanzhou-Zhangye High-speed Railway is a key part of China's high-speed railway network and a rapid passenger corridor for the Silk Road Economic Belt, with its Lanzhou-Wuwei section beginning operations on June 29, 2024.

The Wuwei-Zhangye section has a main line of 244.05 kilometers and links regions like Wuwei, Jinchang, Shandan, and Zhangye in the Hexi Corridor. It is being built as a double-track, electrified high-speed railway with a bridge-to-tunnel ratio of 48.14 percent and a design speed of 250 km per hour.

Construction started on Dec 16, 2024, and the section is expected to be ready for operation by the end of 2027. Once completed, Lanzhou and Zhangye will have a dual high-speed corridor alongside the existing Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway, connecting Jinchang to the high-speed network for the first time.