A new intercity-railway service was opened between two major cities in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, northwest China.
Six trains will run between Urumqi, the regional capital, and Korla City in southern Xinjiang, every day, at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, according to the Urumqi Railway Bureau.
A one-way 479-km trip takes four hours and a half, cutting the current service by two hours and 26 minutes.
The new intercity train service means Korla is now included in Urumqi's four-hour economic circle.
Currently, Xinjiang has intercity trains between Urumqi and Karamay in the north, and between Urumqi and Hami in the east.