Xinjiang is the larg
est province in the north-west of china and now becomes the second inter-continental bridge which runs through the east and the west. The south of Xinjiang railways lead to the far west city in our coutry—Cashi. The first generation who built the railway in the New China, fought with severe cold, intense heat and sand belown by wind in support of the Han, Uyghur(Uighur), Kazak, Hui,and the other nationalities, created the miracle in the history of the railroad building. On Dec, 1962, the railways were completed to pave into Urumqi, thus the history which there was no railway in Xinjiang ended and the Xinjiang was firmly connected with the inner island. The south of Xinjiang railways from Tulufan to Kuerle were finished and the south of the Xinjiang has its own railways.
The north of Xinjiang Railway :
The north of Xinjiang railway lines are most important componet of the second inter-continental bridge connects the inter-continental bridge inter-continental bridge Asia and the Europe. It is the extension of the west Lan-xin (Lanzhou - Xinjiang railway )railway line and the one of the main railway lines in Xinjiang. This giantic steel dragon which is 460 km long, begins from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, along the north slope of Tianshan and the south of Zhunger basin and going westward, passing nine counties and cities such like Chanji, Hutubi, Manasi, Shihezi, Shawan, Kuitun, Wusu, Jinghe, Bole and going northward to south of Aibi lake, reaching Alatau Pass, finally jointed with Kzakistan’s tracks.
On sep, 1990, under the hard work of thousands of people, the railway lines begin from the east city Lianyugang, run across the Asia and the Europe continent to Rotterdam in Holland,jointing the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
On Oct,1992, the north of Xinjiang railway lines was formally put to business and was launched the international inter-modal transport business in Dec, 1992 and was finally become the part of the national railway network.
The north of Xinjiang railway line is the first class railway in our couty; it’s designed to transit for total10 millon tons per year.The belts along the lines are the most developed in the industry, agriculture, stock raising and forests and strong in the oil refining, the electric power, the non-ferrous metal and the light industry. It is abundant in petroleum and coal, but the important bases for the crops, cotton, cattles and sugar as well. The annually transportation exceed 425 millon ton and rank the second in the five national railway ports.
Xinjiang, which used to be a closed inner iland, becomes the west frontier to Chinese reform and opening because of the completion of the north of railway. This action makes Xinjiang which is far from the sea, connects the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It not only greatly strengthened the transportation capacity, but also drive the rapid development to the along lines’ economy, provide the convient transportation, while Chinese policy, which is thefurther omnibearing reform and opening and Xinjiang’s strategy which introducing outside, inner united and cooperated with the east provinces, transported to the west have been carried out.
It is estimated that the distance may be reduced over 1000 km when our northwest, southwest, the mid China and the east provinces trade with the central Asia, the east and the west Europe; compared to the shipping, the costs may be saved 20 percent and time may be saved a half. Because the railway lines from the west of Urumqi to Alatau Pass were completed, President Jiangzemin attended the great ceremony and cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the first arrived train. The party’s and nation’s leaders, Lipeng, Wangzhen, Zoujiahua, Wuxueqian, Litieying made the important denotes for the development of the north of Xinjiang railway line respectively.
The extension work to west paved to the major town Kashi in south of Xinjiang, thus the whole framework of Xinjiang railway lines which connect the south and the east, extend to south really come into being.
The railway lines traverse the Ala ditch and the Wustai ditch 36 times, run through 29 tunnels and 463 bridges, which the most longest tunnel, Suixian was digged on the snow covered all year round city,Daban at the altitude 3000m.
The railway climbes up and down acutely in the deep Tianshan (Heavenly Mountain ).The gradient is at 22 percent at the most and the continous ramp is 240 km. It is rare in our railway construction. The journey to our capital,Beijing is shorted from 74 hours to 48 hours; the journey to shanghai is also shorted from 84 hours to 51 hours. The average speed is 100 km per hour on the north of railway lines,while the average speed is 80 km per hour on the south of railway lines.
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