High-speed trains linking Northwest China’s Xi’an and Southwest China’s Chongqing begin operation on Dec 6, cutting the travel time between the two from 9.5 to 5.5 hours.

The new route includes a new section of the high-speed rail line that links Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province with Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, which is also set to start operating on Dec 6.

The 643-kilometer Xi’an-Chengdu line is China’s first rail to run through the Qinling Mountains which naturally divide the country from north to south.

With an intended speed of 250 km/h, it shortens the travel time between Xi’an and Chengdu from seven to some four hours.