A new railway linking this provincial capital of Shaanxi, and Ankang, a city in the southern part of the province, became operational Thursday, March 1.
The railway ensures new access to the southwestern part of the country, and is an important part of the railway network in the country's western areas.
Three passenger trains are in service on the railway, which has shortened the rail distance from Xi'an to Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, by 583 km.
The railway was completed last August and started trial operation 51 days ago.