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Xi'an-Ankang Railway Opened to Traffic
Xikang Railway Opened
January 8 saw the Xi'an-Ankang was opened to traffic, a key project set for the 9th Five-year Plan period, completed one year ahead of schedule.
Xi'an - Ankang Railway is the first railway put to use in China in the new century and the first of its kind built following the strategic proposal for western China's development. Its completion will be a great ease on strain of railway transportation from northwest and south China to Sichuan and for an improved railway network formed it will help much in relieving transportation pressure on Baoji-Chengdu and Xiangfan-Chongqing lines in China's southwest. With the new railway put into operation China will also be greatly helped in exploiting its coal and mineral resources in areas on both sides of the line, Shaanxi Province in particular, in the way to bring a boost to local economies.
As the fifth major railroad from China's north to south, the Xi'an - Ankang Railway runs through 7 counties and cities of Shaanxi Province to a length of 267.49km. An electrified single track railroad to date, with a second track reserved, Xi'an-Ankang Railway has been built with an annual transportation capacity of 20m tons and run with a daily average of 8 pairs of passenger trains.
Xi'an-Ankang Railway started construction on December 18, 1996, at a cost of 10.25bn yuan, on which 50,000 builders and engineers had worked. With new technologies and equipment used, and placed under the charge of Zhengzhou Railway Administration, the railway has been in the way to cut former 15 hours' detour path to a distance of less than 5 hours' travel by trains from Xi'an to Ankang.
By PD Online staff member Li Heng
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