YINCHUAN -- Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region will open its first high-speed railway on Dec 29, according to local state-owned capital operation group.

The railway will mark the opening of high-speed train services in all Chinese mainland provincial-level regions except for Tibet autonomous region.

The 212-km-long railway links three cities in the region including Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, Wuzhong and Zhongwei with a maximum design speed of 250 kph.

The railway will reduce travel time between Yinchuan and Zhongwei by more than an hour, group said.