[1][2] The line allows trains to travel between Chongqing and Lanzhou, Gansu via Nanchong and Guangyuan, Sichuan.

The capacity of the line is expected at 50 train pairs per day and 50,000,000 tonnes of freight per year.

[3] Lanzhou–Chongqing railway project was estimated to need a total investment of 77.4 billion yuan, of which the Gansu Provincial Government invested about 43 billion yuan, with the rest of the funding was coming from a Ministry of Railways, Sichuan and Chongqing joint construction effort.

By the completion of the railway rail transport from Lanzhou and Chongqing is shortened from 1,466 kilometres (911 mi) to 820 kilometres (510 mi), conventional train running time is reduced to 7 hours from 17.5 hours.

Recent high speed rail reforms has also meant direct Chengdu-Lanzhou and Chongqing-Xi'an services will use a combination of Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed railway and Chongqing–Lanzhou high-speed railway from where they meet at Guangyuan, Sichuan.