Xi’an to Yan’an High-Speed Rail Opens in Shaanxi

Channel: CGTN Published: July 15, 2026 Duration: 1:55 Views: 1.7M

What this video shows

The Xi'an–Yan'an high-speed railway opened on a Friday, extending high-speed rail service into northern Shaanxi. Passengers interviewed at the launch describe riding a high-speed train for the first time and travelling specifically to be on the inaugural run. One rider notes the trip to Xi'an now takes one hour and eight minutes, a change described as previously unimaginable. The report then turns to the engineering behind the line and to the wider milestone it represents for China's rail network.

At a glance

LocationXi'an to Yan'an, northern Shaanxi Province
SettingRoute crossing the Loess Plateau, linking urban and rural areas
What it coversOpening of a new high-speed line and the national network passing 50,000 km
Costs mentionedNone mentioned
Time of dayNot stated in the video; the line began operations on a Friday

What stands out

The engineering is the striking part: more than 90 percent of the route is bridges and tunnels, built to cope with the Loess Plateau's deeply carved terrain and with fragile, unstable soil. That required new construction techniques and technologies applied across the project. The payoff is measured in time — one hour and eight minutes to Xi'an — for a region that has long faced transportation constraints. The line is also framed as a way to strengthen ties between cities and countryside and widen access for communities along the route, part of a network that now exceeds 50,000 km.

Video transcript

The Xi 'an - Yan'an high-speed railway officially began operations on Friday, bringing northern Shaanxi province fully into China's high-speed rail era. For local residents, this is a long-anticipated moment. It's the first time to go to >> my first time taking a high-speed train, and I'm really excited. It's the very first run of this line. We came especially to take the inaugural train and experience it for ourselves. It is unimaginable before that it now takes just 1 hour and 8 minutes to get to Xi'an. Northern Shaanxi is located on the Loess Plateau,

a region known for its deeply carved terrain. It has long faced transportation constraints. Crossing this complex landscape, the railway showcases advanced engineering solutions developed for the challenging geological conditions. More than 90% of the Xi'an - Yan'an high-speed railway consists of bridges and tunnels. Engineers also had to overcome technical challenges caused by fragile and unstable soil. To address these difficulties, innovative technologies and new construction techniques were widely applied throughout the project. Just as high-speed

rail has been reshaping everyday life across China, the new line is expected to further strengthen connections between urban and rural areas and bring greater access and opportunities to communities along the route. This new railway is part of a much bigger picture. With its launch, China's operational high-speed rail network now exceeds 50,000 km, turning large-scale infrastructure into everyday benefits for people across the country.

More from Shaanxi

More from Transportation

View category →

More from CGTN

View blogger →

Latest uploads

All videos →