Editor’s note: Improved infrastructure, policy support, and funding in areas with large ethnic populations have transformed lives. China Daily presents a series of stories about how China demonstrates her determination not to leave any ethnic group behind in the country’s development and inspires them to embark on a new journey and make achievements in a new era. ing. This article is the first and focuses on transportation in Xinjiang. This is also the ninth in a series of visual stories highlighting key points on China’s road to modernization.
Gulbar Helem enjoyed sitting by the window as he rode the train back to his home in Kira, Hotan province. The view of the huge sand dunes we were passing through was so breathtaking that it felt unreal.
As the train moved along the tracks, I could see the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region out the window.
“In fact, we are literally traveling through the desert, a place of no return. I still can’t believe it’s possible,” Gruber said as the train lights up as he pulls out his cell phone. He said this while photographing the moment he passed through poplar trees. The golden desert and blue sky create a beautiful autumn landscape.
When the crew of the 5817 train, which runs from the regional capital Urumqi to Hotan, reminds her that the train will soon reach its destination, she sees for the first time the Qira people’s dream of running a train in front of her eyes. I realized that it had come true. reality. When the railway opened on June 16, 2022, their lives immediately changed.
The Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway stretches east from Hotan to Ruoqiang County in the Bingoling Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, along the southern edge of Taklamakan, the world’s second largest shifting sand desert. Approximately 65 percent of the railroads are located within the desert.
This 825-kilometer section also completed the 2,712-kilometer Taklamakan Desert Railway Loop, making it the world’s first desert railway loop.
The opening of this line, an important state-owned railway project, brings railway service to five prefectures in southern Xinjiang: Qila, Lop, Yutian, Minfeng, and Qiemo, reducing travel time for local residents.
Before the new railway opened, getting from Hotan to Urumqi required taking a rail service that ran along the northern edge of Taklamakan, and the journey took about 34 hours.
Now there is no need to take such a long detour. The designated speed was 120km/h, and travel time was reduced by approximately 10 hours. For Gruber, a schoolteacher, the journey to Keira took him only 20 hours.
“The Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway has been the talk of the town since its construction began in December 2018. And people, including myself, have been closely following developments in the news. It has become an important part of our lives,” she said. .
wider perspective
When Mr. Gruber got off the train at Kirra, more people boarded and the train quickly filled up again. Many wore colorful traditional Uyghur costumes and carried naan and roasted mutton. The smell of food quickly filled the car.
Many travelers told conductor Zhao Hong, who was busy helping them find seats, that they were boarding the train to visit relatives in other prefectures.
More and more people are taking short trips to other prefectures by train because it’s convenient and cheap, Zhao said. “We never expected the new service to be so popular. Rail service has just become available in our home counties, and many people will be riding a train for the first time in their lives. “I can tell you’re excited,” she said. “They also brought us gifts such as walnuts and mutton to show how happy they were about the new railway they had always wanted.”
Akbar Turson, a passenger from Lop, in his 40s, said the new route has reduced transportation costs for locals and made travel safer.
Before trains were available in Lop, people often took long-distance buses to Urumqi, which cost about 500 yuan ($70) to 600 yuan. The cheapest train ticket costs only about 170 yuan, and people no longer have to worry about traffic accidents, Akbar said.
“Rop people can now easily travel to other places by train to find new opportunities or go sightseeing elsewhere. In fact, the new line will only add to the means of transportation. Instead, people, especially young people, look at China’s determination to develop Xinjiang,” Akbar said.
Abdullet Abdulkhabar, also from Lop, took the train back home after visiting Urumqi for the first time. “The new train service is fast and comfortable, so I finally decided to travel to Urumqi with my friends,” said the 21-year-old. “I would like to travel more in the future because I get to see more new things.”