The Lanxin (Lanzhou-Urumqi) High-Speed Railway crosses a vast expanse of the Gobi Desert and windy areas -- a major technical feat -- and is the first high-speed railway of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

With this railway, travel time between Lanzhou,capital of Gansu province and Urumqi,capital of Xinjiang will be cut from the current 21 hours to 8 hours or less.

The operation of the new line will complement the current railway networks and greatly improve Xinjiang's transport capabilities to Central Asian and European countries and strengthen its role of being the transportation hub along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Train attendants wait for passengers of a high-speed bullet train which is about to go on a test run on the Gansu section of the newly built Lanxin (Lanzhou-Urumqi) High-Speed Railway at Lanzhou West Railway Station in Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province, Dec 10, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]