The 617 km (383 mi) railway from Dunhuang to Golmud consists of two parts: an existing section of the Qinghai–Tibet railway from Golmud to Yinmaxia station, and a newly built 509 km (316 mi) single-track electrified rail line connecting Yinmaxia station to Dunhuang, following a route similar to that of China National Highway 215.

[1] Since Dunhuang, located in the westernmost part of Gansu, is already connected to the Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway by the Liugou–Dunhuang branch (the Liudun railway, 柳敦铁路), the Dunhuang–Golmud link establishes a direct connection between Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Region.

[1] Around Shashangou, between Dunhuang and the Altyn-Tagh–Qilian mountain system, the railway crosses the eastern edge of the Kumtag Desert.

There was a concern that the "megadunes" characteristic of this area may shift, burying the railway.

However, geological research indicated that the "megadunes" are mostly formed by solid subsoil, rather than just sand.