A Fuxing bullet train pulled out of the newly opened Xi'an East Railway Station Tuesday morning, marking the launch of the Xi'an-Shiyan high-speed railway, a major new transport corridor linking central and western China.

During China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the country has planned to work faster to boost its strength in transportation and improve the modern integrated transportation system.

By overcoming formidable natural barriers in one of China's most geologically complex regions and linking the previously isolated mountain regions to the national high-speed rail network, the Xi'an-Shiyan line is poised to transform mobility, industry and tourism across a vast area of central and western China.

The construction began in 2021 with a total investment of 47.68 billion yuan (about $7 billion). It cuts through the Qinling Mountains, a natural boundary between China's north and south, and the Hanjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River.

For decades, rugged terrain in the Qinling Mountains limited transportation and economic exchanges in many areas.

Mao Lei, chief designer of the project, described the route as a railway running through a "natural geological museum" as the proportion of bridges and tunnels along the line exceeds 90 percent.

Experts believe the railway will strengthen economic ties between western, central and eastern China, while providing new momentum for development along the Yangtze River Economic Belt.