Extreme weather prompts suspension of more trains in NW China

LANZHOU, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Strong gales and snowfall in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have resulted in the suspension of 13 additional passenger trains on Sunday, railway authorities in neighboring Gansu Province announced.

Some normal trains connecting Xinjiang's capital city of Urumqi with cities such as Gansu's capital Lanzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Kunming have been impacted but all high-speed train services on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed railway are currently operating normally, according to the China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

Considering the current situation, the railway company plans to increase passenger capacity on some high-speed trains from Lanzhou to Urumqi by doubling the number of carriages on Monday and Tuesday, raising the capacity from 613 to 1,226 passengers.

Meanwhile, railway stations in Lanzhou will enhance their reservation services and deploy volunteers to assist passengers in various ways.

On Saturday, 54 passenger trains were suspended in Xinjiang, due to extreme weather conditions. From Friday to Sunday, many places in the region have been affected by blizzards, strong winds and cold waves.