When the high-speed train number C1112 carrying a batch of passengers left the Shenyang Railway Station at 9 am on November 29, it marked the one month anniversary of the trial operations on the newly-established Xinmin-Tongliao High-Speed Railway, which is scheduled to officially start running by the end of this year.

The railway had completed coordinated tests over a three-month period and started trial operations on November 1. Over a one-month period, passenger test trains have been used to examine systems including power supply, subgrade, communication, tunnels, bridges, passenger services and emergency response to ensure they all meet requirements.

Over the next 30 days, trial operations will be conducted to test and assess the availability, safety and reliability of equipment and the overall system; and also to check the training of operating personnel and to hold emergency drills.

The Xinmin-Tongliao High-Speed Railway is one of the key projects included in Northeast China's high speed passenger transportation network.

It will be connected to Beijing-Shenyang High-speed Railway and Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Railway when it officially commences operations. It marks the first and the most convenient high-speed railway in Inner Mongolia autonomous region connected to the national high-speed railway network, which enables residents in Inner Mongolia to arrive in big cities such as Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian and Harbin.

The 197-kilometer line links Xinmin in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Northeast China’s Liaoning province, with Tongliao, a city in the northeast of Inner Mongolian autonomous region. 

It started construction in June 2016. The new line will have four stations, including Xinmin North, Zhangwu, Ganqika and Tongliao, and it is designed for speeds of around 250 km per hour. 

Additionally, each train running on the Xinmin-Tongliao High-speed Railway will have a train attendant who can use Mongolian to serve passengers, providing convenience for passengers that has language barriers with Chinese Mandarin.

Once the line officially starts operations, it will shorten the journey time between Shenyang and Tongliao to around 1.5 hours from the current five hours; and shorten the journey time between Beijing and Tongliao to around 3.5 hours from the current 14 hours.

Also, the Xinmin-Tongliao High-Speed Railway is of significant importance for Inner Mongolia to integrate with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Circle and to help drive the economic and social development of the Northeast China region.