BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A railway connecting two well-known tourist cities in southwest China's Yunnan Province will open to traffic on Sunday, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said Friday.
With the operation of the Lijiang-Shangri-la railway, the fastest travel time between the two cities will be reduced to one hour and 18 minutes.
The railway has a design speed of 140 km per hour and a total length of 139 km. Construction started in December 2014.
As an important part of Yunnan-Tibet railway network, the new line will help improve transportation in ethnic minority areas, which will promote national unity, consolidate border stability and promote Yunnan's high-quality development, China Railway said. ■
