The long whistle pierced through the morning mist of the ancient capital Xi'an. As the first ray of sunlight shone on the mottled platform of Xi'an Railway Station, the wheels of train Y207 began to slowly turn. This is not just the start of a train, but also a response that spans thousands of years - more than two thousand years ago, the caravan of merchants and traders started from here and embarked on a Silk Road that spans east and west; Now, 260 aspiring tourists ride on this mobile hotel and follow in the footsteps of ancient people, rushing towards the distant Central Asian city of Almaty.

The first special train departed smoothly

At 9:39 am on June 29, 2026, the Y207 train carrying 260 tourists slowly departed from Xi'an Railway Station and headed west towards Almaty, Kazakhstan. This also means that the first China Central Asia cultural tourism train from Xi'an to Almaty in 2026 has officially opened for operation.

This tourism special train is jointly built by China Railway Xi'an Bureau Group Co., Ltd. and Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, coinciding with the prime time for summer tourism. The train runs westward along the Millennium Silk Road, passes the Hexi Corridor, crosses the Tianshan Mountains, and leaves the country through the one-stop customs clearance at Khorgos Port, opening an immersive cultural journey along the Silk Road for tourists. On the way, there are also featured activities such as ethnic song and dance interaction.

Exclusive travel experience upgrade

The travel itinerary of this special train is 16 days and 15 nights, equipped with 25T+19K high-end soft sleeper carriages, covering four types of reserved carriages: 12, 18, 20, and 32. It adopts a customized operation mode for boutique small groups and innovatively launches exclusive travel services that allow passengers to travel with the train.

Different from traditional tourism modes, this train focuses on the concept of slow travel and deep experience, effectively avoiding the trouble of multiple transfers and repeated luggage handling during long-distance travel, allowing tourists to fully immerse themselves in the beautiful scenery and profound cultural heritage of the Silk Road.

Double Line Tour of Silk Road Charm

In response to the travel needs of different tourists, this train has carefully planned two differentiated themed routes, taking into account the cross-border travel experience in Central Asia and the in-depth sightseeing of Xinjiang as a whole. Line A is a journey along the Silk Road in Kazakhstan, connecting major core scenic spots in Xinjiang, and going out from Khorgos Port to Almaty; The B-line is a tour of the Great Beauty Xinjiang Loop, providing a one-stop tour of the iconic natural and cultural landscapes of northern and southern Xinjiang, and delving into the millennium cultural heritage of the Western Regions.

The entire route runs through the Guanzhong Plain, Hexi Corridor, the land of Xinjiang, and the hinterland of Central Asia. Along the way, it includes various landscapes such as millennium old city ruins, grassland nomadic felt houses, characteristic folk markets, snow capped mountains, plateaus, and lakes, achieving a deep integration of natural sightseeing, historical tracing, and folk experience. The interior of the train is dedicated to creating a mobile Silk Road cultural reception hall, carrying out immersive cultural activities throughout the journey to alleviate the boredom of the journey and enrich tourists' cultural travel experience. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, Xi'an, tourism trains

This Central Asian cultural tourism train is linked by railways, integrating the cultural heritage of the ancient capital of Xi'an, the diverse customs of the Western Regions, and the exotic features of Central Asia, allowing tourists to experience the unique charm of Silk Road civilization on a slow journey, and also building an important bridge for deepening cultural exchanges between China and Central Asian countries.Editor/Gong Ziwei