An image of Zhangye West Railway Station, an existing station on the newly constructed Wuwei-Zhangye section of the Lanzhou-Zhangye HSR. [Photo provided to gogansu.com]

The construction of the Wuwei-Zhangye section of the Lanzhou-Zhangye High-Speed Railway (HSR) officially commenced on Dec 16.

The Lanzhou-Zhangye HSR originates at Lanzhou West Railway Station, passing through Lanzhou, Wuwei, Jinchang, and Zhangye, before connecting to Zhangye West Railway Station. Spanning approximately 498 kilometers, with a designed speed of 250 kilometers per hour. 

The monumental project unfolds in three phases. The first phase, spanning 61-kilometer from Lanzhou West to Zhongchuan Airport, was completed and opened in September 2015. Subsequently, the second phase, covering 193-kilometers from Zhongchuan Airport to Wuwei East, became operational in June 2024. 

As the third phase, linking Wuwei East to Zhangye West transition into construction stage, the vision of seamless connectivity is drawing closer to realization. The Wuwei-Zhangye section spans approximately 244 kilometers through Wuwei, Jinchang, and Zhangye, with a projected construction period of three years. The line will feature four stations: Wuwei East, Jinchang South, Shandan North, and Zhangye West. Among these, Jinchang South and Shandan North are new constructions, while Wuwei East and Zhangye West are existing stations.