Guide for Singapore and Malaysia travelers taking the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway: How to plan your journey from Lanzhou and Xining to Urumqi

For travelers from Singapore and Malaysia wanting to visit Xinjiang, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway is suitable for inclusion in their "Northwest to Xinjiang" or "Xinjiang Eastern Extension" itineraries. It connects Lanzhou, Xining, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Hami, Turpan, and Urumqi, creating a convenient route through the Hexi Corridor, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. The key considerations are the travel time, station names, and connections to tourist attractions: while trains solve the problem of travel between cities, many tourist areas still require chartered vehicles or connecting transfers after disembarking.

Why do Singapore and Malaysia travelers use the Lanzhou-Singapore High-Speed Railway?

When traveling from Singapore or Malaysia to Xinjiang, the common practice is to first fly to a major city in mainland China and then transfer to a flight to Urumqi. If you want to arrange Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang into a long route, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway is very useful.

The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, often referred to as the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Passenger Dedicated Line, opened to traffic on December 26, 2014. It starts at Lanzhou West Station, passing through Xining, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Hami, Turpan, and other cities before finally reaching Urumqi. For passengers, the greatest value of this railway is that it connects several previously distant cities in Northwest China into a convenient travel route.

 If your trip only involves visiting northern or southern Xinjiang, flying directly to Urumqi is usually more convenient. If you want to see Zhangye Danxia, Jiayuguan, and Turpan along the way before heading to Urumqi, then the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway is a better option to include in your itinerary. 

Which type of Singapore-Malaysia itinerary is this route suitable for?

The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway is suitable for three types of travelers. The first type is those who are visiting Northwest China for the first time and want to connect Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang in one trip; the second type is those who have already been to Urumqi and want to add Turpan, Hami, Zhangye, or Jiayuguan to their route; and the third type is those who have ample time and wish to reduce long-distance road travel.

If you only have 7 to 9 days of vacation, and your main destinations are Kanas, Ili, Sayram Lake, or Kashgar, the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway may not be the most time-efficient option. International flight layovers for travelers from Singapore and Malaysia are already quite long, and adding the cross-provincial rail travel within China can easily overwhelm your itinerary with transportation costs.

Trip type	suitability	Judgment method
Lanzhou, Xining, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Turpan, Urumqi (line)	Very suitable	The city unfolds precisely along the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, with a clear logic for its movement.
I only visited Urumqi, Tianchi Lake in the Tianshan Mountains, and Turpan.	You can consider it.	You can fly to Urumqi and then take a short train or hire a car; you don't necessarily have to travel the entire route.
Kanas, Hemu, and Sayram Lake in Northern Xinjiang	Only suitable for transportation in and out of Xinjiang	A road shuttle is still required to reach the scenic area.
Kashgar, Taxkorgan, and Hotan in southern Xinjiang	Not the spindle	You can first go to Urumqi, and then transfer to the Southern Xinjiang Railway or a domestic flight.

What can you see along the route from Lanzhou to Urumqi?

One of the advantages of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway is the rapid changes in landscape. Heading west from Lanzhou, you first enter eastern Qinghai and the Hexi Corridor, then approach the Qilian Mountains, Jiayuguan, Hami, and Turpan. In summer, when passing through the Menyuan area, there is a chance to see rapeseed flower fields; after entering the Gansu section, the Gobi Desert, wind power facilities, and long stretches of desert become increasingly prominent.

Singaporean and Malaysian travelers who don't want to travel every day can break this route into several segments:

• Lanzhou or Xining: As the starting point for entering Northwest China, it is suitable to first adapt to the climate and food.
• Zhangye: Suitable for visiting attractions such as Danxia landforms and the Hexi Corridor.
• Jiayuguan: Suitable for viewing the fortress, Great Wall culture, and northwestern frontier landscape.
• Hami and Turpan: After entering eastern Xinjiang, the landscape begins to shift to the Gobi Desert, oases and the Flaming Mountains.
• Urumqi: As a transportation hub for travel in Xinjiang, it connects to northern Xinjiang, southern Xinjiang, or the Ili region.

Don't confuse Urumqi Station and Urumqi South Station.

The most common passenger train stations in Urumqi are Urumqi Station and Urumqi South Station, which are not close to each other. Most high-speed trains and long-distance trains now use Urumqi Station as their main hub, but some regular-speed trains may still stop at or originate from/arrive at Urumqi South Station.

 After booking your ticket, check the specific station name on the ticket. "Urumqi" and "Urumqi South" are different locations, so the pick-up and drop-off location, hotel location, and meeting point should all be arranged according to the station name on the ticket. 

Urumqi Railway Station, located at No. 1, North Sixth Road of High-Speed Railway, is an important passenger station in the current Urumqi railway hub. Urumqi South Railway Station, located at No. 135, South Station Road, Shayibak District, is sometimes mentioned as the main station in older articles. When planning your trip after 2026, it is safer to use the train number and station name on the ticket as the reference on 12306 for the day of travel.

Just because a train can reach a city doesn't mean a scenic spot is right next to it.

The most common misconception when traveling in Xinjiang is that "trains to cities" means "scenic spots are also nearby." In places like Altay, Kanas, Hemu, Sayram Lake, and Tashkurgan, shuttle buses, chartered cars, or local tourist buses are usually required. Trains solve long-distance travel between cities; travel to scenic spots still needs to be arranged separately.

For travelers to Singapore and Malaysia, a more reliable planning approach is to first determine the general direction: Northern Xinjiang for lakes, grasslands, and snow-capped mountains; Southern Xinjiang for Kashgar, Tashkurgan, cultural sites, and the Pamir Plateau; and Eastern Xinjiang for Turpan, Hami, and the Gobi oases. Once the direction is determined, then decide how to combine train, plane, and chartered vehicle travel.

Important Notes on Ticket Purchase and Itinerary Arrangement

Train schedules on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway and Xinjiang Railway will be adjusted according to the timetable; please check before departure. China Railway 12306 Please check for the most accurate information. During peak tourist seasons, summer and winter vacations, and around holidays, tickets to destinations such as Urumqi, Yining, Altay, Kashgar, and Hotan may be in short supply.

Singaporean and Malaysian travelers should also pay attention to three things. First, high-speed rail tickets in mainland China are usually purchased with real names, and the passport information must match the ticket. Second, allow sufficient time for security checks and waiting at stations, and avoid scheduling transfers too tightly. Third, the distances between cities in Xinjiang are large, so it's best not to plan too many activities on the evening of arrival.

Reference source

• China Railway 12306
• Lanzhou-Xinjiang Passenger Dedicated Line
• Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway
• Urumqi Station
• Urumqi South Station

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