China completes Dali-Lijiang railway in YunnanThe EUR458 million Dali-Lijiang single-track railway line opened to traffic on 28.09.2009 in southwest China's Yunnan Province. The 162.4 km-long track, designed for train speeds of 120 km/h, will shorten the journey time from four hours by bus to less than an hour and a half by train. The rail line, with 47 tunnels totalling 78 km in length and 76 bridges totalling 22 km, will cater to nearly five million people from Dali, Lijiang, Diqing and Nujiang. Construction began in December, 2004, when completion was set for June, 2008. However, complex terrain and repeated revisions of the plan, including a decision to use electricity for traction instead of diesel power, led to delays. The line will next be extended to Shangri-la, and then to Lhasa in Tibet. 41/09