The railway, which will connect Korla in Xinjiang and Golmud in Qinghai, is the third rail artery linking the region with neighboring provinces, and the first direct rail link between Xinjiang and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Currently, the total rail distance between the two cities is about 4,000 kilometers, including a detour to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province. The new line will cut the journey by more than 1,000 km.

The line will cut travel time between Golmud and Korla from 26 hours to 12 hours. The rails will carry passengers, traveling at a speed of 120 km per hour, as well as freight.