Train tracks have been laid between Dali and Lijiang, two cities in Southwest China's Yunnan province, yunnan.cn, a Yunnan-based news portal reported today.

The tracks are a part of a larger rail line that will eventually run from Yunnan to Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. Sources from Chengdu Railway Bureau said construction of the railway’s electric, telecommunication, and signal systems will be built next, along with stations between the two cities. Freight trains will then conduct test runs along the 164-km-long track, and the line will hopefully be open for passenger transportation before the National Day holiday in October.

Construction on the rail line began at the end of 2004, and was scheduled to be completed by June 2008. Because of construction difficulties and a decision to upgrade the line to accommodate electric-powered trains, as opposed to older coal-powered engines, the completion date was delayed until October.

Source:chinadaily.com.cn