巍峨的雪山、广袤的牧场、险峻的峡谷……26日，复兴号动车组从云南迪庆藏族自治州香格里拉站开出，向丽江方向驶去。当日，丽江至香格里拉铁路通车，迪庆结束不通火车的历史。
A railway linking the picturesque cities of Lijiang and Shangri-La in Southwest China's Yunnan province officially opened to traffic on Sunday, connecting the province's Dechen prefecture to the country's high-speed railway network.
一条连接中国西南部省份云南风景如画的丽江和香格里拉的铁路于11月26日正式通车，将云南迪庆连接到全国高速铁路网。
The railway, which boasts a total length of 139.7 kilometers and is designed to facilitate a maximum speed of 140 km per hour, is expected to reduce travel time between the two well-known tourist cities to 1 hour and 18 minutes.
这条铁路全长139.7公里，最高时速140公里，预计将把这两个著名旅游城市之间的旅行时间缩短至1小时18分钟。
It is also expected to greatly enhance the economic integration between Lijiang and Dechen, and contribute to the high-quality development of the local economy.
丽香铁路有望大大增强丽江和迪庆之间的经济一体化，为当地经济高质量发展做出贡献。
Construction of the railway posed significant challenges due to the complex geological and topographical conditions, said Zhang Minyin, commander of the Western Yunnan Railway Construction Headquarters of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co.
中铁昆明局滇西铁路建设指挥部指挥长张敏银说，由于复杂的地质和地形条件，铁路建设面临着重大挑战。
With an elevation ranging from 2,400 meters at the Lijiang station to 3,274 meters at the Shangri-La station, the railway passes through one of the most geologically active regions in China, where the Indian and Eurasian plates converge.
丽香铁路海拔从丽江站的2400米攀升至香格里拉站的3274米，沿线区域地壳构造运动强烈，处于印度板块和欧亚板块交汇处。
It took around 20,000 workers about nine years to build the section since construction of the railway started in December 2014.
自2014年12月铁路开工以来，大约2万名工人花了大约9年的时间建造了这段铁路。
"A total of 34 new bridges and 20 new tunnels were built for the railway, covering more than 70 percent of the route, accumulating valuable experience in plateau railway construction," Zhang said.
张敏银说：“丽香铁路全线新建桥梁34座、隧道20座，桥隧比高达70%以上，为高原铁路建设积累了宝贵的经验。”
Innovative technologies, such as the world's leading large deformation control technology, were employed to overcome the difficulties of high crustal stress and large deformation encountered during the construction of tunnels, which go through the Jade Dragon and Haba snow mountains, he said.
他说，在穿越玉龙雪山和哈巴雪山的隧道建设过程中，采用了世界领先的大变形控制技术等创新技术，克服了隧道建设过程中遇到高地应力大变形地质难关。
The railway also features the Jinsha River grand bridge, the world's first large-span steel truss railway-specific suspension bridge, according to Zhang.
据张敏银介绍，丽江至香格里拉铁路金沙江特大桥是世界上第一座大跨度铁路专用悬索桥。
With a total length of 882.5 meters and a main span of 660 meters, the bridge stands a staggering 250 meters above the river, he said, adding that the successful construction of the bridge has set several records in the history of railway construction, both in China and the world.
他说，这座桥全长882.5米，主跨660米，桥面离江面垂直距离约250米，创造了中国和世界铁路建设史上的多项纪录。
Zhang Ping, deputy director of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group's passenger transportation department, said eight passenger trains and two freight trains will run daily on the route during the initial operation phase.
中国铁路昆明局集团公司客运部副主任张蘋表示，丽香铁路开通运营初期，铁路部门每日安排开行旅客列车8列。
The railway is expected to reduce the travel time between Kunming and Shangri-La to 4 hours and 30 minutes, and that between Dali and Shangri-La to 3 hours and 58 minutes. It will not only improve the stability and accessibility of transportation along the route, but also connect Shangri-La with other tourist destinations such as Lijiang Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge.
丽香铁路预计将使昆明至香格里拉的旅行时间减少到4小时30分钟，大理至香格里拉的行程时间减少到3小时58分钟。丽香铁路不仅将提高沿线交通的稳定性和可达性，还将连接香格里拉与丽江古城、玉龙雪山和虎跳峡等其他旅游目的地。
Larong Dawa, 42, who runs a small workshop for brewing highland barley wine in Shangri-La, said the new railway has made traveling more convenient for residents as well as tourists. "In the past, it took us one day to reach Kunming. But now it takes less than five hours."
42岁的拉隆·达瓦在香格里拉经营着一家青稞酒小作坊。她说，丽香铁路使居民和游客的出行更加方便。“过去，我们需要一天才能到达昆明。但现在只需要不到五个小时。”
Tang Yan, 29, who works at the Shangri-La station, said the railway will likely bring more travelers to the city. "I will provide dedicated services to all passengers and help them experience the hospitality of Shangri-La."
29岁的唐岩（音译）在香格里拉火车站工作，她说，丽香铁路将会为香格里来带来更多的游客。“我将为所有乘客提供服务，让他们体验香格里拉的热情好客。”
Tang said she believes the railway will "attract more businesses and investors, and our unique agricultural products will be sold across the country and even around the world".
唐岩说，她相信这条铁路将“吸引更多的企业和投资者，我们特色农产品将销往全国甚至世界各地”。
