Lijiang-Shangri-La railway opens to traffic Sunday

जन आस्था

मंसिर १५, २०८०

The first train is to leave Shangri-La Railway Station for Kunming on Nov. 26.

The Lijiang-Shangri-La section of Yunnan-Xizang/Tibet Railway was put into operation on November 26, linking up the Lijiang old town, the jade-dragon snow mountain, the tiger-leaping gorge and other scenic areas in the northwest of Yunnan province.

Locals perform at a launching ceremony near the Shangri-La Railway Station.

Locals at the launching ceremony

November 26, 2023 coincided with the first World Sustainable Transport Day, and according to the UN secretary general António Guterres, the day reminds us that the road to a better future depends on cleaner and greener transportation systems.

“The Lijiang-Shangri-La Railway bears the century-old dream of Yunnan people, and it will be greatly conducive to high-quality development, ethnic unity and eco-protection.” Yunnan governor Wang Yubo said at a launching ceremony at the Shangri-La Railway Station.

The first train is to leave Shangri-La Railway Station for Kunming on Nov. 26.

Passengers on the first train sing and dance on Nov. 26.

With a designed speed of 140km per hour, the Lijiang-Shangri-La rail section has been under construction in the past 9 years. By including northwest Yunnan’s Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture into the national railway network, the project will revitalize tourism and economy in the ethnic minority areas.

The 139.7km Lijiang-Shangri-La railway runs north from Lijiang all the way to Shangri-La city, prefectural seat of Diqing, and the elevation rises from 2,400 meters to 3,400 meters. It is equipped with 34 bridges and 20 tunnels, cutting the Lijiang-Shangri-La trip to 1 hour and 18 minutes.

Locals perform at a launching ceremony near the Shangri-La Railway Station.