Xi'an-Chengdu rail line to have full internet/cell coverage

Chinese rail authorities are suggesting the Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed rail link will be the country's first mountain crossing to provide full 4G network coverage.

Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway is now fully 4G-ready following testing on November 22, 2017. [Photo: IC]

The 658 kilometer line is China's first high-speed rail route running through the Qinling Mountains, with 55 percent of the route's total length made up of tunnels.

To ensure a mobile signal and internet access, China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom have run signal cables in the tunnels throughout the Qingling Mountain tunnels.

A full-length test of the Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway was carried out Wednesday. The line is scheduled to enter operation before the end of the year.

The new line will cut the travel time between the capitals of Sichuan and Shaanxi from 16 hours down to 3 hours.