Dunhuang–Golmud railway

The Dunhuang–Golmud railway or Dun'ge railway (Chinese: 敦格铁路; pinyin: dūn'gé tiělù) is a railway between Dunhuang, Gansu and Golmud, Qinghai in Northwestern China. The 617 km (383 mi) railway from Dunhuang to Golmud consists of two part: an existed section of the Qinghai–Tibet railway from Golmud to Yinmaxia station, and a newly-built 509 km (316 mi) single-track electrified rail line connecting the Yinmaxia station to Dunhuang, following a route similar to that of China National Highway 215. The railway allows passenger trains to run at the speeds up to 120 km/h (75 mph), and can carry freight trains of up to 4000 tonnes.[1]

Dunhuang–Golmud railway
敦格铁路
Overview
TypeHeavy rail
System China Railway
StatusOperational
Locale People's Republic of China
TerminiDunhuang railway station
Golmud railway station
Operation
Opened2019
Operator(s)China Railway Qingzang Group
Technical
Line length617 km (383 mi)
Number of tracks1 (Single-track railway)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius800 m (2,625 ft)
ElectrificationOverhead line 25 kV, 50 Hz
Operating speed120km/h
Highest elevation1.3%

The construction of the line began in December 2012 and finished on 18 December 2019.[1] Since Dunhuang, located in the westernmost part of Gansu, is already connected to the Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway by the Liugou–Dunhuang branch (the Liudun railway, 柳敦铁路), the Dunhuang–Golmud link established a direct connection between Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Region. Provisions is made for upgrading to double-track railway in the future.[1]

Engineering challenges
The "megadunes" near Dunhuang

Around Shashangou, between Dunhuang and the Altyn-Tagh–Qilian mountain system, the railway will have to cross the eastern edge of the Kumtag Desert. There was a concern that the "megadunes" characteristic of this area may shift, burying the railway. However, geological research indicated that the "megadunes" are mostly formed by solid subsoil, rather than just sand. Although there is still the issue of drifting sand, it is thought by the experts that the sand is mostly blown along the direction of the future railway rather than across it, and can be handled with certain precautions.[2]

The railway has 9 tunnels, with the total length of 32.62 km.[3]

References
  1. "敦格铁路今日全线通车". 西海都市报 (in Chinese). 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  2. Study on the Feasibility of Dunhuang–Golmud Railway Crossing the Megadunes Area at the East Edge of Kumtagh Desert Archived 2013-08-01 at the Wayback Machine, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAREERI, CAS)
  3. 新建铁路敦煌至格尔木线环境影响评价第二次公示 (Environmental Impact Assessment of the Dunhuang–Golmud railway), 2010-03-04
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