Economic benefits

Besides making traveling on the southern edge of the Taklimakan more convenient, the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway has also boosted the efficiency of logistic services and put local economic development on the fast track.

According to the China Railway Urumqi Group, as of mid-June, nearly 900,000 metric tons of goods had been delivered by freight trains via the new railway. By linking with the railway between Ruoqiang and Golmud, Qinghai province, the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway has also created another freight route connecting southern Xinjiang with other parts of China.

Gao Mingli, manager of the freight service at Hotan station, said the new railway has greatly boosted the efficiency of shipping goods from other parts of the country to Hotan.

"In the past, all freight trains to Hotan had to travel on the southern edge of the Taklimakan. As the route is busy, there are often delays that create uncertainty in the trains' arrival times," said Gao, while inspecting a train that had just arrived at the freight service center carrying chemical fertilizers and photovoltaic panels.

Now, freight trains can be diverted to the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway to get to Hotan, which is a shorter trip that helps prevent delays. It's extremely important for businesses, Gao added.

Huang Can, manager of Yihao Lingtong Logistics Company said since the new railway was opened, goods have arrived sooner. "We normally handle goods dispatched from Hubei province. In the past, it could take up to 12 days for the train to arrive. Now, it only takes eight days at most," Huang said.

Gao has also been working closely with local businesses to ship their products. "New freight service stations have been built along the new railway. And the local businesses all want to use them to ship local specialties such as walnuts and jam out via trains. I am sure more business opportunities will be brought by the railway in the future," he said.

Dream service

Luo Jie, who works in the financial sector in Beijing, took a selfie on the platform after train service 5817 arrived at Hotan station. He placed a journey on the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway on his Xinjiang must-do list after seeing a documentary about the efforts put into building the last section of the Taklimakan rail loop, which was played on a screen on the high-speed train from Shanghai to Beijing, he said.

"Waking up in the sleeping berth, I am astounded to find the train making its way through the Taklimakan. The sand dunes on both sides are like waves in the ocean, and it almost feels like I am traveling on a ship," Luo said.

He added that besides enjoying the unique views, he also talked to some local people on the train, and they all said that the railway had brought hope and prosperity to the southern edge of the Taklimakan.

"I suddenly realize that although the top speed of the train on the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway is only about a third of the high-speed train from Shanghai to Beijing, they are equally remarkable," Luo said.