China inaugurates new high-speed railway between Chengdu and Yibin

China on Tuesday inaugurated a new high-speed railway in the southwestern province of Sichuan, connecting the provincial capital, Chengdu, with the cities of Zigong and Yibin (pronounced "ibin").

The Chengdu-Zigong-Yibin high-speed railway has a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour and 12 stations along a route of 261 kilometers.

The railway has 231 bridges and 29 tunnels, which highlights the complexity of the terrain it passes through, according to Zhang Zongwei, manager of the company that manages the railway.

The new railway line is a complement to an existing one between Chengdu and Guiyang, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The two form a circuit between Chengdu and Yibin.

By reducing travel time, the line aims to help cities such as Yibin and Zigong in Sichuan, as well as other urban centers in neighboring Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, further integrate into the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. .

The railway is part of China's high-speed railway network, which revolves around eight main vertical lines linking north and south and eight horizontal lines connecting east and west.