China's Expanding Railway System: The Significance

China's Second Urumqi-Jinghe railway became operational Dec. 6, according to the Xinjiang Railway Bureau. The 381.5 kilometers rail line links the country's far western provinces to its eastern regions and expands westward to Central Asia and Europe. The expansion will better connect the country's disparate regions, provide an economic stimulus during the downturn and assist security forces in projecting internal — and external — power. But the challenge of efficiently running the rail network remains.