Welding of the main track of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was recently completed, laying the foundation for operation of the Taklimakan Desert railway loop.
As a national major railway project, the 825.48-kilometer Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway links Hotan Prefecture and Ruoqiang County in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.
A bird's-eye view of part of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Construction on the railway started in late 2018 and track laying began in May 2020.
Frequent sandstorms, inconvenient traffic and communication conditions and extremely low and high temperatures in winter and summer, as well as the large difference in temperature between day and night, made it hard to weld the tracks.
China Railway 11 Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., both subsidiaries of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, were responsible for the welding work.
A worker at the construction site of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway in Xinjiang [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
To reduce the potential risk of rail expansion, the companies strictly controlled the rail temperature, and reserved rail expansion space.
Mobile flash welding technology was also used to ensure welding quality.
Next, more adjustments and improvements are scheduled to carry out on the track to make sure trains can operate smoothly and stably.
(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)
