A 299-kilometer high-speed railway linking Xi'an and Yan'an cities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province is set to begin operations on Friday.

Tickets for trains running on the new rail route went on sale on Thursday.

As the railway traverses gully regions of the Loess Plateau, the construction of its tunnels went through multiple challenges of complex geological conditions, according to Wang Haiting, a project manager of the China Railway No.3 Engineering Group.

"The project department actively adopted advanced geological prediction and other methods to conduct comprehensive analysis on the tunnels' geological conditions, effectively reducing the risks of convergence, rockfall, and collapse," Wang said.

At the initial stage of operation, rail authorities will operate no more than 38 trains a day, with supporting facilities beginning operations simultaneously.

With a designed top speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the high-speed service is expected to significantly improve the convenience of travel and support rural revitalization in the old revolutionary base area.

"Upon the completion of the Xi’an-Yan’an high-speed railway, it will take only 19 minutes, 27 minutes, and 68 minutes to travel from the Xi'an North Station to the Fuping South Station, Tongchuan Station, and Yan'an Station, respectively, which saves 56 minutes, 102 minutes, and 62 minutes as compared with the current travel time by general speed trains," said Ma Jingyu, deputy director of passenger services at the Xi'an North Railway Station.

Yan'an holds profound historical significance, having served as the base of the Communist Party of China Central Committee from 1937 to 1947.

With the opening of several lines by year-end, China's high-speed rail mileage is expected to exceed 50,000 kilometers.