Dunhuang–Golmud railway
Railway line in China / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dunhuang–Golmud railway or Dunge railway (Chinese: 敦格铁路; pinyin: dūngé tiělù) is a railway between Dunhuang, Gansu and Golmud, Qinghai in Northwestern China. The 617 km (383 mi) railway from Dunhuang to Golmud consists of two parts: an existing section of the Qinghai–Tibet railway from Golmud to Yinmaxia station, and a newly built 509 km (316 mi) single-track electrified rail line connecting Yinmaxia station to Dunhuang, following a route similar to that of China National Highway 215. The railway allows passenger trains to run at speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and can carry freight trains of up to 4000 tonnes.[1]
Dunhuang–Golmud railway 敦格铁路 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | Operational |
Locale | People's Republic of China |
Termini | |
Service | |
Type | Heavy rail |
System | China Railway |
Operator(s) | China Railway Qingzang Group |
History | |
Opened | 2019 |
Technical | |
Line length | 617 km (383 mi) |
Number of tracks | 1 (Single-track railway) |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Minimum radius | 800 m (2,625 ft) |
Electrification | Overhead line 25 kV, 50 Hz |
Operating speed | 120km/h |
Highest elevation | 1.3% |
The construction of the line began in December 2012 and finished in December 2019.[1] Since Dunhuang, located in the westernmost part of Gansu, is already connected to the Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway by the Liugou–Dunhuang branch (the Liudun railway, 柳敦铁路), the Dunhuang–Golmud link establishes a direct connection between Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Region. Provisions is made for upgrading to double-track railway in the future.[1]