The Hojiakueri Railway, officially known as the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway, is an important railway line in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Connecting Hotan City with Ruoqiang County, the 876-kilometre railway is the world's longest mobile desert railway, traversing the famous Taklamakan Desert, known for its vast sand dunes and harsh natural environment.
During the construction of the Heruo Railway, engineers and builders faced a number of technical challenges. The extreme weather conditions in the Taklamakan Desert, including strong sandstorms, extreme temperature differences, and a dry and rainless climate, have created challenges for railway construction. To address these issues, the engineering team has adopted a variety of innovative engineering measures and technologies.
First of all, in order to prevent the damage to the rails that could be caused by the movement of the dunes, the method of laying grass squares was adopted. A grass grid is a grid structure made of woven straw that fixes the sandy soil, reduces wind erosion, and provides a basis for subsequent vegetation growth. In addition, drought-tolerant shrubs and herbaceous plants are planted along the route to form a natural windbreak and sand fixation barrier.
Secondly, in order to ensure the survival rate of vegetation, the engineering team set up an automatic sprinkler system along the line. These systems automatically spray vegetation with water at a predetermined period of time, ensuring that plants receive sufficient water at the beginning of their growth**, thus increasing vegetation coverage and ecological protection.
The construction of the Heruo Railway is not only an engineering project, but also has a far-reaching impact on promoting economic development and social progress in Xinjiang. The opening of the railway has greatly shortened the transportation time and cost between the Hotan area and the mainland, strengthened the connection within the region, and played a positive role in promoting the development of local tourism, agriculture and other industries. At the same time, the operation of the railway also helps to improve the living conditions of the local population and promote national unity and stability in the border areas.
The construction and operation of the Heruo Railway has provided valuable experience and examples for the construction of transportation infrastructure in similar desert areas around the world. By adopting an eco-friendly construction approach, the Waruo Railway Project demonstrates how large-scale infrastructure projects can be implemented in extreme natural environments while protecting and restoring the ecological environment, achieving a win-win goal of engineering construction and ecological protection.