Dali-Lincang railway opens, China and Myanmar getting closer

After 5 years of construction, the Dali-Lincang railway in west Yunnan was officially opened for operation on December 30, cutting the Dali-Lincang travel time to 1 hour and 37 minutes and the Kunming-Lincang trip to 3 hours and 37 minutes. 

Lincang, named after the Lancang River, borders Myanmar with three counties of Zhenkang, Cangyuan and Gengma, and the newly built railway is expected to further connectivity between China and Myanmar. 

As a poverty-alleviation project in Yunnan’s 13th Five-Year Plan period, the Dali-Lincang railway will boost economy in ethnic areas. Lincang is home to many minorities, with its distinct Wa ethnic customs impressing visitors from home and abroad.

The Dali Railway starts from Dali City, the capital of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. All the way south, it passes through Weishan County and Nanjian County in the prefecture, crosses the Lancang River and enters Lincang City via Yun County.

With a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour, the line is 201 kilometers in length, and new passenger stations such as Weishan, Yunxian and Lincang are established.

At the initial stage of opening, one pair of trains from Kunming to Lincang are operated daily on the Dali-Lincang railway. With a running time of 3 hours and 37 minutes, the train trip is about 6 hours shorter than the coach ride.

And the railway department also operates three pairs of trains from Dali to Lincang, and the fastest running time is 1 hour and 37 minutes, which is about 3 hours shorter than buses. The second-class ticket for the Dali to Lincang EMU train costs 101 yuan.

More than 80 years ago,  a Yunnan-Myanmar railway, which was temporarily built during the Chinese Anti-Japanese War, passed through Lincang. Back then, China and Myanmar were mostly linked by the Yunnan-Myanmar road. 

Source: China News Service and Yunnan Daily; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue