On August 31, drilling work for the pile foundation of the first pier of the grand bridge on the connecting line between the Linhe–Hami Railway and the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway was launched, marking the start of construction on the capacity expansion and renovation project for the Linhe–Ejin Banner section of the Linhe–Hami Railway.

The Linhe–Hami Railway starts in Linhe District, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia in the east and ends in Hami City, Xinjiang in the west, with the existing line totaling 1,391 kilometers. The Linhe–Ejin Banner section is a single-track non-electrified railway, and after capacity expansion and renovation it will be upgraded to a double-track electrified heavy-haul railway.

Song Detian, commander of the Linhe Project Department of the Linhe–Hami Railway Company under China Railway Hohhot Group, introduced that the capacity expansion and renovation project for the Linhe–Ejin Banner section is designed to build 158 new bridges and 2 new stations, construct 2 concrete sand-control open tunnels with a total length of 8,069 meters in areas with severe sand hazards, and simultaneously renovate 22 stations, increase the length of station arrival and departure tracks, and upgrade power supply systems, signal and communication systems, and passenger and freight service facilities.

The capacity expansion and renovation construction faces complex terrain and strong wind and sand conditions. To ensure safe and smooth construction, China Railway Hohhot Group has optimized construction organization and transport support, adopted measures such as scheduling construction trains to connect during off-peak periods, and avoided periods of dense freight train traffic, thereby ensuring smooth construction while reducing the impact of the project on existing railway transport organization.

After the capacity expansion and renovation project is completed, the 18 stations in the Linhe–Ejin Banner section will be capable of receiving and dispatching 10,000-ton-class freight trains, and this section'sannual freight transport capacity will leap from the current 30 million tons to about 200 million tons，providing a stable and reliable heavy-haul transport corridor for the country's "west-to-east coal transport" and "Xinjiang coal outward transport."

Source: Xinhua News Agency