In previous years, when traveling from Yili to southern Xinjiang, trains had to first head east towards Jinghe, then turn back to Urumqi and Turpan. They had to travel westward along the southern Xinjiang railway, passing through Korla and Kuche, in order to reach Aksu. The entire journey was 1616 kilometers, and passengers had to spend nearly 16 hours on the train. The Tianshan Mountains stretch from north to south. This natural barrier has made the Yili River Valley and the Tarim Basin reluctantly connected by a winding railway for a long time. The trade exchanges between the two places and the people's family ties have suffered a lot. Now, this dilemma has finally reached its breakthrough moment.

Construction of the entire line to open up the direct connection channel between Tianshan Mountains

On June 30, 2026, the construction of the entire Yining Aksu railway began, and the preliminary project was launched in September 2025. This marks the beginning of the project's comprehensive accelerated construction phase, with the plan to be completed and opened to traffic in December 2032. The Yi'a Railway starts from Yining Station, passes through Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture and the Fourth Division of the Corps, crosses the Tianshan Mountains and connects to Aksu Station. The total length of the line is about 798 kilometers, including about 460 kilometers of newly built main line. The railway is constructed according to the national railway level I single track electrified passenger and freight co line standard, with a designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour, and a reserved speed of 120 kilometers per hour for the Tianshan mountain crossing section. There are 22 stations along the entire line, including Yining, Bulekai, Gongliu, Xinyuan, Nalati, Bayinbuluke, Kutaiklik, Aksu, etc. Among them, 18 are newly built stations, and the existing stations will be renovated and the 67.2-kilometer railway electrification upgrade will be implemented simultaneously.

The travel time has been reduced from 16 hours to 8 hours

After completion, the transportation distance of the Yining Aksu railway will be shortened from 1616 kilometers to about 800 kilometers, and the travel time of passenger trains will be reduced from about 16 hours to about 8 hours, completely ending the history of trains from the two places circumnavigating Turpan. As an important component of the western border railway corridor, the Yia Railway can not only reduce logistics costs in northern and southern Xinjiang, but also drive the development of grain and oil, livestock products, and tourism resources in the Ili River Valley and the hinterland of Tianshan Mountains, promoting accelerated flow of people, logistics, and information.

Complete the last section of the Xinjiang Railway Ring Line

The Yia Railway is the last link in the Xinjiang Ring Railway Network. After completion, it will connect the Jinghuo Railway to the north and the Nanjiang Railway to the south, forming a railway loop around the entire Xinjiang, along with the Nanjiang Railway, Kahe Railway, Luoruo Railway, Azhun Railway, and Kuia Railway. It will work together with highways and civil aviation to form a comprehensive transportation loop, achieving the development goals of connecting the Xinjiang Ring, speeding up entry and exit, and facilitating smooth north-south development, providing transportation support for the high-quality development of Xinjiang.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

On the day when the railway tracks are laid and the whistle rings in 2032, we will board the train from Yining and cross the Gongnaisi Grassland, Nalati, and Bayinbuluke Wetland all the way to Aksu, truly connecting the north and south of Xinjiang. This is not only the closure of an arc on the map, but also a new starting point for the travel and development of millions of people in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains.Editor/Yang Meiling