Dunhuang–Golmud railway
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.
| 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. 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.