XINING - A local railway which goes through an area rich in salt and non-ferrous metals in Northwest China's Qinghai province was officially put into operation on Friday, local authorities said.

The 45.2-km Xi-Bei Railway links Xitieshan and Beihuobuxun in the Qaidam Basin in northwestern Qinghai, according to the Department of Transportation of Qinghai.

Qinghai has the most salt lakes in the country, with most distributed in the Qaidam Basin.

"The single-line electrified railway can carry trains at a speed of 80 km per hour," said Wang Gang, general manager of the Qinghai Local Railway Construction Investment Company. "Annual transport volume is estimated to reach 14 million tonnes."

Construction on the railway began in 2012. It is the first local railway built and operated by a local company.

The railway provides a new and massive way to transport salt lake resources other than traditional motor transport.