YINCHUAN, June 19 -- Construction of a major high-speed railway in northwest China started in Zhongwei city in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Monday, according to the regional government.

The Zhongwei-Lanzhou high-speed rail line will link Zhongwei and Lanzhou, capital of neighboring Gansu Province. It is scheduled to measure 218 kilometers with a top-speed of 250 km per hour.

The line is expected to open in 2022.

The line will connect with another high-speed rail line linking Zhongwei with Yinchuan, capital of the region. Travel time between Lanzhou and Yinchuan -- the two major cities in northwest China -- will be shortened from the current 10 hours to just two hours.

The new high-speed rail line will play a very important role in the construction of a high-speed transport route linking the northwestern region with central and eastern areas of the country.