Trunk Railway in Landlocked Shaanxi Completed

Trunk Railway in Landlocked Shaanxi Completed

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A trunk railway was completed Sunday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to connect Shenmu and Yan'an, three months ahead of schedule.

The railway, which joins the Shenmu-Baotou, Yan'an-Xi'an and Xi 'an-Ankang railways and links up with railways in Sichuan Province, southwest China, will form another major rail route traversing China from north to south, following the Beijing-Guangzhou and Beijing-Shanghai railways.

The 382.4 kilometer-long railway cost 6.47 billion yuan (779 million U.S. dollars) in total investment, including 200 million yuan (2.4 million U.S. dollars) of Bank of Asia loans.

A total of 249 bridges and 26 tunnels were built on the railway, which runs through the Muus Desert and the ravine area of the Loess Plateau, sources said. Bridges and tunnels account for 20 percent of the railway's total length.

The railway is expected to help develop local energy and tourism resources, according to sources. The area where the railway traverses is rich in coal and natural gas resources.