A set of test trains started to run on the Xining-Golmud section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway on Friday, as China looks to replace traditional trains running on it with its noted Fuxing model high-speed trains from July 1 in efforts to significantly boost transportation efficiency on the railway. 

The Qinghai-Xizang railway is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining City in Qinghai Province to Lhasa in the Xizang Autonomous Region in western China.

Construction on the Qinghai-Xizang railway started in 1958. Today, its length is 1,956 kilometers. The 815-kilometer section between Xining and Golmud was completed by 1984. Years later, the 1,142-kilometer section between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated on July 1, 2006. This railway is the first to connect the Xizang Autonomous Region to other provinces. 

The China Railway started renovating a 760-kilometer-long stretch of the Xining-Golmud section in June 2021 to accommodate Fuxing model high-speed trains running from Qinghai Province's Xining City in Haiyan County through Delingha City to Golmud City. 

After the upgrade, the new train with a speed of 160 kilometers per hour will reduce the travel time between Xining and Golmud by roughly an hour. 

Shi Guorong, deputy director of the sci-tech and informatization department under the China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co., Ltd., said to ensure smooth and safe operation, the company has formed a special testing squad. 

"We have set up a testing group consisting of transportation, maintenance, electronic, engineering and power supply staff members to test the trains. Testing and verification will be carried out on the physical dimension of the rails, the contact network system, the telecommunication system, as well as other technical equipment to ensure that the Fuxing model high-speed trains would run smoothly and safely on the Qinghai-Xizang railway," Shi said. 

Running on the Xining-Golmud section, which sits on a plateau, means that the Fuxing model high-speed trains would be slightly different from their siblings. Designers have made special arrangements so that the ventilation system could cope with the significant local temperature differences and the strong, sandy wind. 

The color of the Fuxing model trains would come in a combination of red, grey and green. 

Zheng Long, deputy director of the Xining High Speed Railway department under China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co., Ltd., said the company has also been striving to make the trains not only greener in color but also cleaner in power. 

"The high-speed trains of the Fuxing CR200J model scheduled to operate between Xining and Golmud are driven by a greener and more environmentally friendly source of power. They are also steadier and will provide a more comfortable riding experience for the passengers," Zheng said. 

In the meantime, designers have also been giving full play to the geographical advantages of Qinghai, installing solar panels to absorb the long-lasting daylight, heat the rails and shield them from the freezing cold during winter and at night. 

Modifications have also been made to the platforms on the railway section, with new rain-sheds, fences and drainage pipelines installed to mitigate possible damage caused by the local sandy weather and provide a better riding experience for the travelers. 

"For stations that may handle a larger volume of passengers, such as the Huangyuan and Delingha stations, we are upgrading the station interior, the platforms and the passenger guiding system so that they would be qualified for high-speed train operation. After (the Fuxing model trains) are put into use, we will provide better conditions for the travel of passengers and for regional development," said Li Jia, deputy director of the customer and cargo department under China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co., Ltd.

In the first five months of this year, the Xining-Golmud section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway handled roughly 1.1 million passenger trips, up 51.62 percent year on year. 

To cope with the surging demand, the Fuxing model trains will have nine carriages with a capacity of more than 600 passengers. The trains are also scheduled to run four times daily to meet the mounting demand.

Fuxing is the latest model of a series of electric multiple-unit high-speed trains operated by China Railway Corporation and developed by Chinese publicly traded rolling stock manufacturer CRRC, which owns the independent intellectual property rights. Fuxing, which means "rejuvenation," boasts a top speed of at least 435 kilometers per hour and a consistent speed of 350 kilometers per hour.