Construction of the Rmb 62bn Chengdu-Lanzhou railway, linking the capitals of Sichuan and Gansu provinces, got under way on 21 February.

Due to be completed in December 2014, the 731km line will reduce the journey time between the two cities from more than 17 hours to about four hours.

The line is designed to boost economic development in northwest and southwest China, and provide a stimulus for tourism in these areas. It will pass through Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu, another popular tourist destination.
The line will link with the Lanzhou-Chongqing, Baoji-Chengdu, Sichuan-Qinghai and Sichuan-Tibetan lines, construction of which will also start this year.