New high-speed railway links Chengdu with Kunming

A new high-speed railway line linking Chengdu and Kunming, two major cities in southwest China, opened to traffic on Monday.

With a designed speed of 160 km per hour, the 915-km new line, which runs almost parallel to an existing railway link between Chengdu and Kunming, cuts the travel time from 19 hours to 7.5 hours.

The new Chengdu-Kunming Railway features seven long tunnels -- with each measuring more than 10 km -- and 11 long-span bridges. The railway traverses various mountains and rivers, which posed challenges during its construction.

As a key project for China's West Development Strategy, the railway is expected to promote economic growth and the high-quality opening up of southwestern Chinese regions.