rail connection between Hotan (和田) and Kashgar (喀什) in Xinjiang.
This railway line is called the Kashgar–Hotan railway (喀和铁路).
Here are the key details:
- Length: Approximately 488.27 km (303.40 mi).
- Completion and Opening:
- Construction began in December 2008.
- It opened to freight traffic on December 30, 2010.
- Passenger service began on June 28, 2011.
- Route: The railway runs along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, connecting major cities and towns of the Southwestern Tarim Basin. Intermediate stations include Shule, Akto, Yengisar, Yarkant (Shache), Poskam (Zepu), Karghilik (Yecheng), Pishan (Guma), and Karakax (Moyu).
- Travel Time: Train journeys between Hotan and Kashgar typically take between 5.5 to 7 hours, with some direct express services (like the Z9851/2) completing the journey in around 5 hours.
- Significance:
- It extends the Southern Xinjiang Railway south from Kashgar.
- Together with the Hotan–Ruoqiang railway, the Southern Xinjiang railway, and the Golmud–Korla railway, it forms the world’s first desert railway loop, encircling the Taklamakan Desert (total length 2,712 km). This loop was completed with the opening of the Hotan–Ruoqiang railway in June 2022.
- This line has significantly improved transportation and economic development in the southern Xinjiang region, allowing for faster transport of goods like Hotan’s carpets and Kashgar’s plums to other parts of China, and facilitating travel for local residents and tourists.
- It is also considered a segment of the proposed and partially under-construction Xinjiang-Tibet Railway.
