Linhe-Ceke Railway
Encyclopedia
Linhai-Ceke Railway or Lince Railway (临策铁路) is a railway in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northwestern China
between the city of Bayan Nur
, formerly known as Linhe, and Ceke, a border post in Ejin Banner
on the China-Mongolia
border. The railway is 707 km in total length, and runs entirely in desert regions. The line was built with investments of ¥
4.27 billion. It opened to freight operations in December 2009 and passenger service in November 2010, but has been plagued by sandstorms and shifting dunes, which have buried tracks and disrupted service.
branches off the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway at Linhe, on the Yellow River
, and it runs due west through Hanggin Rear Banner
, Tukemumiao, Suhongtu and Ejin to Ceke, where the line meets the Jiayuguan-Ceke Railway
. The Lince Railway crosses the Ulanbuhe, Yamaleike, and the Badain Jaran
Deserts, and over 500 km of track is laid in desert or Gobi terrain. Over 90% of the line lies in areas with no highway access. Of the line's 18 stations, 13 have no running water. The line has 180 bridges and 1,000 tunnels and underpasses, including passage ways for Mongolian gazelle in the 300-km of wilderness from Wuliji to Ejin.
The Ceke Railway is designed to serve as part of a longer rail corridor between North China
and Xinjiang
, and to carry coal from Mongolia produced near Ceke. In the first year of operation, the line carried 390,000 tons of coal, and also delivered 3,000 tons of water, 15,000 barrels of drinking water and 20,000 kg of food to stations and remote communities along route.
When passenger service began in November, a 1,100 km journey from Hohhot
to Ejin took 14 hours and 55 minutes.
. In the first year of operations, over 10,000 workers were mobilized and ¥71 million was spent to clear track, spread sand-control netting, build sand-restraint devices, and plant trees. Nine sand control centers were established along route. Service was suspended for two months in the spring of 2010, and when freight service was restored in July, traffic was reduced from eight pairs of trains per day to two pairs. In the first 36 days after passenger service was introduced in November 2010, sand storms buried track on 27 days and caused 51 service disruptions. Sand storms have reduced effective speed on eight sections of track between Suhongtu to Swan Lake to 25 km/h.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
between the city of Bayan Nur
Bayan Nur
Bayannur is a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia. Until December 1, 2003, the area was called the Bayannur league.Bayannur city has an area of 65,788 km². It borders Mongolia to the north, Alxa to the west, Ordos to the south and Baotou to the east...
, formerly known as Linhe, and Ceke, a border post in Ejin Banner
Ejin Banner
Ejin Banner is a banner of Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Alxa League.-Transportation:Eljin Banner is served by the Jiayuguan-Ceke and the Linhe-Ceke Railways.-References:*...
on the China-Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
border. The railway is 707 km in total length, and runs entirely in desert regions. The line was built with investments of ¥
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
4.27 billion. It opened to freight operations in December 2009 and passenger service in November 2010, but has been plagued by sandstorms and shifting dunes, which have buried tracks and disrupted service.
Route
In the east, the Linhe-Ceke RailwayLinhe-Ceke Railway
Linhai-Ceke Railway or Lince Railway is a railway in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northwestern China between the city of Bayan Nur, formerly known as Linhe, and Ceke, a border post in Ejin Banner on the China-Mongolia border. The railway is 707 km in total length, and runs entirely in...
branches off the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway at Linhe, on the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
, and it runs due west through Hanggin Rear Banner
Hanggin Rear Banner
Hanggin Rear Banner , 1,767 km², 300,000 inhabitants , administrative center: Shanba .-Transportation:Hanggin Rear Banner is served by the Linhe-Ceke Railway....
, Tukemumiao, Suhongtu and Ejin to Ceke, where the line meets the Jiayuguan-Ceke Railway
Jiayuguan-Ceke Railway
The Jiayuguan-Ceke Railway or Jiace Railway is a railway in northwestern China between Jiayuguan in Gansu Province and the Ceke, a border post in Ejin Banner of Inner Mongolia on the China-Mongolian border...
. The Lince Railway crosses the Ulanbuhe, Yamaleike, and the Badain Jaran
Badain Jaran Desert
The Badain Jaran Desert is a desert in China which spans the provinces of Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. It covers an area of 49,000 sq. kilometers ....
Deserts, and over 500 km of track is laid in desert or Gobi terrain. Over 90% of the line lies in areas with no highway access. Of the line's 18 stations, 13 have no running water. The line has 180 bridges and 1,000 tunnels and underpasses, including passage ways for Mongolian gazelle in the 300-km of wilderness from Wuliji to Ejin.
The Ceke Railway is designed to serve as part of a longer rail corridor between North China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
and Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, and to carry coal from Mongolia produced near Ceke. In the first year of operation, the line carried 390,000 tons of coal, and also delivered 3,000 tons of water, 15,000 barrels of drinking water and 20,000 kg of food to stations and remote communities along route.
When passenger service began in November, a 1,100 km journey from Hohhot
Hohhot
Hohhot , is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....
to Ejin took 14 hours and 55 minutes.
Problems with Sand Storms and Desertification
Since the railway opened in December 2009, service has been adversely affected by sand storms and shifting dunes, which affects 390 km of track. Sand storms occur the region on as many as 230 days per year, with sustained gusts reaching Level 11 on the Beaufort ScaleBeaufort scale
The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...
. In the first year of operations, over 10,000 workers were mobilized and ¥71 million was spent to clear track, spread sand-control netting, build sand-restraint devices, and plant trees. Nine sand control centers were established along route. Service was suspended for two months in the spring of 2010, and when freight service was restored in July, traffic was reduced from eight pairs of trains per day to two pairs. In the first 36 days after passenger service was introduced in November 2010, sand storms buried track on 27 days and caused 51 service disruptions. Sand storms have reduced effective speed on eight sections of track between Suhongtu to Swan Lake to 25 km/h.