XI'AN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A high-speed railway linking Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Yan'an in northern Shaanxi has entered the joint debugging and testing phase, marking a significant step toward full operation.

China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. announced that a test train completed a full-length run on the new railway on Thursday. This journey kicked off the project's joint-testing phase, during which engineers will simulate real-world operational conditions to thoroughly examine and optimize all systems, including the track, power supply, and signaling.

The 299.8-km line traverses the ravined Loess Plateau, with bridges and tunnels comprising 91 percent of its total length, including 47 tunnels and 67 large- and medium-sized bridges, said Zhou Weimin, commander of the Xi'an-Yan'an railway project.

Liu Wentao, the line's chief designer from China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., said the design team had considered station location, terrain, geology, and environmental protection to ensure both engineering safety and harmony with the surrounding environment.

Designed to operate at 350 km per hour, the railway will slash the journey time between Xi'an and Yan'an from 2.5 hours to approximately one hour after it becomes operational by the end of this year. Yan'an holds profound historical significance as the base of the Communist Party of China leadership between 1937 and 1947.

As the first high-speed railway in northern Shaanxi's old revolutionary base area, the line will play an important role in optimizing the national high-speed rail network, boosting rural revitalization, and supporting western region development. ■