GUIYANG -- A trial run of a railway connecting two major cities in southwest China, Chongqing and Guiyang, began on Saturday.

The railway, which traverses China's longest river, Yangtze, and its tributary, Wujiang River, has 209 new bridges and 115 tunnels, according to the project's constructor, China Railway Chengdu Group Co. Ltd.

Designed for passenger trains running at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour, the railway will improve traffic between China's southwest and northwestern, eastern, southern areas.

It will cut the travel time between Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, from current 11 hours to 3.5 hours.

It will also significantly shorten trips between Sichuan, Guizhou, Chongqing and eastern coastal areas.