URUMQI -- Bullet trains that can run at 160 km per hour have been put into operation to replace the older and slower models in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The electric multiple units (EMU) train is named Fuxing, the same as the 350 km/h model that runs between Beijing and Shanghai. It can run on the existing rails in the region but has sealed compartments, internal temperature control, and lower noise.

The first such trains started operation on Aug 8 from Urumqi to Korla, with a total of three pairs of trains running daily. The train can cut the intercity travel time from 5 hours to 3 hours.

In the future, there will be 20 more sets of Fuxing trains linking multiple cities in the region, according to China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.

"Now that Fuxing trains have been put into operation, more people can experience the convenience and improved service of bullet trains," said Song Qiang, deputy director of the passenger transport department of China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.

The region received about 75.9 million visitors in the first half of this year, up 46 percent compared with the same period last year, according to regional officials.