A CRH train stops at Tulufan North Station for an overall system examination after completing the first half of a system integration test run It will return to its base in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

The first high-speed railway in Xinjiang has started the countdown to commercial operation, scheduled at the end of this year, following a successful system integration test and commissioning which began on June 3.

The railway, officially known as the Xinjiang Section of the second double-track Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, is a supplement to the existing railway that connects the two provincial cities in northwest China and will be a passenger-only, high-speed railway, meaning that freight trains will still be cruising on the old tracks along with slower passenger trains.

The project starts from Lanzhou West Station, capital of Gansu Province, runs through Xining in Qinghai Province, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Jiayuguan in Gansu Province, and Hami and Turpan (Tulufan) of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, before arriving at Urumqi Station. The railway stretches 1,776 km and has 31 newly built stations.

The new line, dedicated to passenger service, is a national Class-I electrified double-track railway, with a maximum design speed of 250kph , according to local railway authorities in Xinjiang.

The second double-track Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway will form a new, fast and high-capacity railway corridor, in China's western area, including Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang, before contributing to the completion of the nationwide high-speed railway network in China. It will shorten the travel time between cities, a fact carrying both economic and strategic implications.

The local railway authorities have yet to finalize how many trains will be leaving daily for each terminal, which is a key measurement for a railway's capacity.

An anonymous analyst said the delayed timetable has reflected the railway management's uncertainty about the line's attendance, which equates with profitability.

Although Xinjiang is the biggest provincial prefect in China, its population density and economy is far smaller than many other provinces. Based in a region with less passengers prone to budget trips, the train’s popularity remains a question. Even the currently booming Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has suffered high vacancies, primarily due to high prices and people's concern over its safety.

In order to gain attention from local people, the Xinjiang-Lanzhou high-speed railway has employed drivers and attendants from the local Uygur ethnic group.

Adi Turdi is one of the only two bullet train drivers of Uygur ethnic group; the other is his retiring supervisor. He said the Uygur train employees will connect with passengers because they can make announcements in both Mandarin Chinese and the Uygur language.

Turdi said the railway authorities are stepping up the effort to encourage Uygur people to join the railway service, as well as promoting more Uygur drivers from the present staff to let them operate high-speed trains.