You need support for Chinese characters on your computer (Simplified Chinese) to see parts of this page.
Much of the information on this page is supplied by Louis Cerny.
Map of Xilinhaote by Louis Cerny.
Weather report for Xilinhaote.
There is very little traffic. For transporting freight, there was only one pair of daily mixed trains (48001/2 to and from Baiqi). On Oxctober 22, 2002 it was replaced by a pair of diesel hauled freight trains. Otherwise there is a China Rail passenger train from Huhehaote every second day, and Jitong line's own diesel express set every second day (canceled in summer 2003). All traction as of now is diesel, and Sanggendalai and Xilinhaote depots are finished with steam facilities, but not yet opened.
While brand-new ash pits and water columns for steam locomotives are in place at Bayinkulun (mid-point on the line) and at Xilinhot, No steam had been used on the line since its opening 1 August, 2002. However, four steam locomotives (QJ 6409, 6414, 6623 and 6991) were in storage at Xilinhot. Appliances atop the boilers were wrapped in burlap, and the main rods were removed. The emergency help train stationed at Xilinhot has a steam-operated crane.
The most interesting section of the line is a 10 kilometer section located from 35 to 45 kilometers south of Xilinhot, where the line climbs southbound on a grade up to 1.2% using one horseshoe curve and much additional curvature. Wuriku and Huitengliang have one passing track, while Bayinkulun has three passing tracks. All three of these intermediate stations on the line have fully-staffed stations, which are located on the east side of the line.
The coal traffic that was the main justification for this line has failed to develop. No buyer can presently be found for the specific qualities of coal that exists in large quantities underground near Xilinhot. It was not expected that this situation will change in the next five years. (In early 2003, Jitong has started building a line from Sanggendalai to the Zhenglan Qi power plant, where Xilinhot coal is to be used).
The line is now thus mainly a passenger operation, with a mixed train daily in each direction (the train I was on had two passenger cars and two freight cars), plus two pairs of every-other-day passenger trains. The only freight traffic for the mixed is one small petroleum complex and public freight spurs at Xilinhot. The potential passenger and local freight traffic is sure to be affected by the recent opening of a much-improved highway generally paralleling the new line.
A positive aspect noted is that areas that seemed to be approaching near-desert status during my construction visits in 2000 and 2001 produced good crops of grass this year, as evidenced by freshly-harvested hay in fields along the track, and fatter animal flocks.
The Xisang line starts from Xilinhaote / Xilinhot / Abagnar Qi in the north.
The line goes first to south-east and then to south through the desert and ends at Sanggendalai, a station of the Jitong line.
Xisang line's designed capacity per year is 3,24 million tons of freight, and one pair of passenger trains until 2006. In year 2011 it is to be increased to 6,49 million tons. Long term designed capacity is 11 million tons per year. This means the capacity at opening is about half of what Jitong line can transport.
The main goal is to open the connection to a region with bad transportation infrastructure with rich iron ore mine and coal supplies, to boost local economy and give more traffic to Jitong line, as well as serving the need of the Zhenglan power plant for coal. (This is planned south of Sanggendalai). (However, when the line opened in 2002, neither the mines or the power plant were ready).
Xilinhaote (Xilinhot) is a modern town with about 100.000 people, Sanggendalai a small one with about 20.000. There are many buses between the two towns, and about eight buses per day from Xilinhot to Zhangjiakou (410 km). Good bus connections from Xilinhot to Jingpeng (200 km) also. A taxi from Jingpeng, shared by four people, costs 100 RMB each, travel time just over two hours.
Mineral resources near Xilinhaote include iron ore, coal and salt, as well as other material. Ximeng area is rich of natural resources. Especially the north of Ximeng area has lots of mines such as: coal, iron, chromium, fluorite, Glauber salt, natural salt, olivine, germanium, and crude oil etc.
In November 2001, I used Mr. HuZhiMing,
taxi driver from Xilinhot, mobile number 13947921115, car reg. nr. H-19717, new car with working warmth. He wanted 120 Yuan for the tour from Sanggendalai. His driving style was fast but safe. Bus from Xilinhot to Jingpeng was 24 RMB and took 3 hours.
Peopledaily newspaper reports that the area of Xilinhot is the main origin of the sand load of storms in the Beijing area. Three planting in the area should therefore be increased. The area of lake Qagan Nur is mentioned as a source for trees to be planted.
According to China Railways magazine number 2/2000 the construction project was approved by the state planning council in December 1999 and should take two years to complete. According to information from Jitong Railways, the project officially started on 22.09.1999. However, in November 2001, workers informed me that the line would first be opened in summer 2002, making for three years construction time. Xisang line is built and operated by Jitong Railways.
The line was opened on August 1, 2002 with great festivity.
The diesel express train, ornamented, and people in mongolian national clothing.
Xilinhot station.
Mongolian horse fighting show
Here is the history for the opening date: Originally, a newspaper article I got at Daban talked about 2002 or 2003. Then, Mr. HeLiWen from Daban told me it would be 21 October 2001. In a newspaper article from May 2001 it was written that the line would be finished in October 2001. Progress has not been so good, however. Then, on October 20, 2001, Mr. HeLiWen from Daban told me it would be October 21, 2002. A guess, as I saw later. Louis Cerny reported from his visit in September 2001 that the line was far from completed. At my own visit on November 7, 2001 this impression was reassured. Railway staff reported of trouble with storms having blown away the already finished line (built of sand). Different railway staff at Huhehaote, Sanggendalai, the work places and Daban then said that 1 August 2002 would be the opening date.
The line was built as a standard first class single track line. This means that max. upgrade slope is 12 in thousand in both directions between Xilinhaote and Baiyingkulun. Between Baiyingkulun and Sanggendalai, the maximum slope is 12 in thousand southbound and 6 in thousand northbound. Minimal curve radius in general is 600 m, and 400 m in difficult areas. The line was constructed fro steam locomotives type QJ. Maximum train weight: single QJ 1150 tons, and double QJ 2300 tons. Station lengths is 750 meters, with possible later expansion to 850 meters. I.e. the general design is like the Jitong line.
Earth and stone works for the roadbed comprise 6,9 million cubic meters, there is one large bridge, 3 medium ones and one small bridge, and 199 culverts, 35379 square meter of buildings. On 20 May 2000, the culverts, medium bridges and other substructure works were 70% finished.
Total track length is 153.183 km, station track length is 17.518 km, 28 switches. Slab stone 309.030 cubic meters, communication line length 155 km, color light signals 61 sets, power line length 75 km.
14 stations, including the starting and destination stations, are planned along the line. But most of them will be constructed later. This also is just like with the Jitong line, where some future stations are, for the time being, just railway worker homes without a siding. At opening the line should have two large stations (probably Sanggendalai and Xilinhaote), two intermediary ones (three tracks probably) and three with two tracks. There are locomotive service points at Sanggendalai and Xilinhaote. At Sanggendalai, they built a depot which looks like Chabuga, with a three track maintenance hall, a triangle and a large modern water tower. The water towers along the line follow a more modern design than the towers along the old line.
The line is equipped with an automatic block system.
The whole line's investment is 350 million RMB. Capital investment is 240 million RMB, Jitong Railway invests 109.1 million RMB . 48 million comes from the Ministry of Railways, 32 million come from the Inner Mongolian government, 110 million from a bank loan from China Construction Bank. Finally there are 50 million in state bonds. A newspaper from June 2001 spoke about a per kilometer cost of 2,3 million RMB, thus the total cost should be 350 million, China Railways Magainze 2/2002 refers to 2.4 million RMB per km. Probably there is some extra for rolling material, personnel hiring and training, ...
Price for the line, a 1st class local railway, is 2.3 to 2.4 million RMB per km, which compares to 6.9 to 9.2 per km for first class national railway lines. Thus, this line was cheap to build.
Southbound will be the heavy load direction. Max. cargo moving density will be in short-term, mid-term, and long term respectively as 1.834 million ton, 2.327 million ton, 3.169 million ton. Among this cargo, coal load will be respectively 0.48 million ton, 0.52 million ton, 0.61 million ton, accounting to respectively 26.2%, 22.3%, and 19.2% of total Cargo load. Newspaper reports do not mention what freight and how much is to be carried northbound on the line.
In autumn 2000, construction works could be seen at Sanggendalai station. Three new tracks were being laid, and a locomotive depot was being constructed.
Station staff informed that operation will be by steam, but in the long
run Sanggendalai depot may replace Baiqi depot, if they use diesel instead
of steam... Diesel may then run all the way through from Benhong to Sanggendalai, and Sanggendalai to Daban. The three new tracks at Sanggendalai were still not in use in November 2001. Only draisines, motor trolleys pulling ballast cars and a steam crane
were seen on these rails. Some switches to the old line are still not laid.
Shunting conductor huts at the east end must be torn down and be replaced
by new ones before the switches can be laid.
According to station staff at Sanggendalai, there is even one more line planned: Sanggendalai
to Zhangjiakou (far south, on the line from Beijing to Datong). A little
way along that line a new påower plant is planned at Zhenglan Qi.
"Construction of this new line, planned for QJ traction, is far advanced, with earthworks nearly complete, bridges under construction, but track laying not started. The line was reached in 1 hour 40 minutes from Jingpeng via the cut-off on the outskirts of Xilinhaote. The new line generally follows the Xilinhaote - Sanggendalai highway, and kilometer posts on that highway are used as a reference. The line lies west of the highway south of Xilinhaote until kp 15. (It follows the Xilin river). There the railroad crosses under the highway. It crosses over the highway at kp 40 and again at kp 106. The junction with the Ji-Tong mainline is right at the road crossing at Sanggendalai. Visual contact between the highway and railroad was from about kp 9 - 47, then sporadically until kp 58, then continuously from 65 - 72, and 101-106. There is an interesting S-curve at kp 35."
It is very difficult to build this line. Just now they are making good progress, new rails 1000 meter per day. However, the gound was still partially frozen in early June, which stopped earthworks. Also, a strong storm destroyed part of the line, where it was built of sand. They have to rebuild it using stone, and this has to be transported from some 40 km away. Bricks for station buldings etc. are transported from up to 100 km away, also. This may explain the fact that workers are now laying stone patterns along the dams. 2000 people are working along the line.
So, the main trouble are cold and storms. Jitong management in Huhehaote also confirmed this in November, saying that in winter, not much progress is possible because of the hard conditions. The long transportation distances add difficulty.
At Xilinhot, they are constructing a large new station, architectonically interesting, west of the town. (It looks nice and modern, in October 2002). Outside the station, a park is planned, and probably a new business area (In October 2002, still only the station exists here, and the large road). It is a bit strange to see the station west of the city all the way the large power plants and the coal mines are located east of the city. The station is reached by a new four lane divided highway (Xilin dajie) which ends at the station some 3.5 km out of town near Xilinhe river. This highway is an extension of a main east west street in the northern part of Xilinhot. North of the station a new depot for steam locomotives is under construction, about the size and arrangement of the engine terminal at Chabuga and Sanggendalai. North of the engine terminal a triangle for turning engines is being built.
Heading south from Xilinhot, the line goes across the flat plains of the Xilin River valley for about 5 km, where it starts to climb out of the valley in a series of cuts and fills. The climb generally continues for more than 50 km, gaining over 300 meters in elevation on grades as steep as 1.2%, equaling the steepest on Jingpeng Pass. The line is almost constantly visible from the Xilinhot - Sanggendalai highway from about highway kilometer post 7 to beyond kilometer 50. After reaching the final altitude, the line is more or less flat for the southern part of it, crossing much desert like terrain with sand dunes and some trees. This northern part of the line will probably have some photographic potential for southbound trains, especially in the morning and evening sun.
At road kilometer point 8,5 , where the road crosses the Xilin River, the line is west of the road. It climbs out of the valley, not always visible from the road, but not too far away. Boring flat and dry terrain until kilometer post 12. The line crosses the highway at kilometer post 15 in a cutting, and bridge under the highway. Just here it looks like falling a bit against south. Ballast only here. At kp 16, ties are on the ballast, but yet very roughly laid. The landscape may be more photogeneous here, and the railway has a few curves. It then passes the Xilin River reservoir and starts to climb again. At kp 17 there is a Mongolian restaurant and hotel complex, with the railway just east of it, not climbing southwards. The hotel is open only in summer. Its name is "Luyou du jia cun". The rails were laid here. Then the railway is more or less straight line, following the highway, much of it flat, until kp25. Grasslands without trees. At kp 35, there is a nice S-curve, first to left, then right, and climbing against south. Some parts here had only ballast, some ties, some rails. On the north side of the road are some old volcanoes (table mountains), called Ping Ding Shan. However, the mountains are small. After this, at kp 44, the line crosses the road on a bridge and then runs north of the road, most of the time some 2-3 km away from it. Here are hills, and some volcanic rocks visible. The line was laid here, and quite ready. It then gets into some cuttings, still climbing. Then comes contour less grassland. The highway is bad here, being repaired currently. But in 2002, the road should be ready to modern standards. Flat grasslands until kp 60. From there to kp 76 some small hills, but the railway may actually fall from here. Station with water tower at kp 76. Mongolian name something like "Hun Tang He". Station building and water tower seemed to be ready. From about here, the road became nice, built to modern standards. The old (abandoned) road is here and there visible.
From kp 80 the landscape is more or less desert. Sand will fly here when there is wind. Sand dunes with yellow sand, red rocks below, some trees here and there. Quite photogenic at some spots, but the railway may be more or less flat here. Trucks with sleepers were heading into this area.
At kp 104 is a small town called ShaZa. The station is two tracks, ballast was laid. Here locals sell cheese (the Chinese call it "njunai de tofu"). At kp 106 the line crosses the highway on a bridge and then runs east of the road. Rails were installed here, but some ballast still missing. But the rails were drivable, at least slowly, for construction machinery. Along the highway and railway line, they have "planted" straw to stop windblown sand. They call these wind breakers "liu tiao". South of here the railway is not visible, and the road crosses lots of sand dunes with grass and trees. The landscape seems to be flat.
The railway was reached again at a level crossing at road km post 153, where it reaches the Jitong railway and then follows it for the last kilometer into Sanggendalai station.
The depot area at Sanggendalai had some rails, but all buildings were just raw buildings. One of them is a two track maintenance hall for locomotives. The water tower looked completed. Construction workers partly lived in tents. They started work between 7.45 and 8, most of them equipped with shovels and pickaxes. Concrete fundaments for inspection ditches, a sand tower, watering facilities and slag pitches were nearly ready. Some tracks were laid and a steam crane parked in the depot area. Some workers were laying rhombus formed stone patterns along the new line. They explained that this is not against rain, but against wind. They lay larger stones to form the pattern, and smaller stone in between. I have seen this along many roads and railway lines in Inner Mongolia, too.
The photos below shows workers going to work at the construction site of Sanggendalai depot. The maintenance hall and water tower are finished
Here is the depot itself
Workers laying small stones along the railway in patterns to protect the line from wind erosion
A worker cutting up stone
A draisine train near Sanggendalai
At the bridge kp 106, looking south : nearly finished line but danger for sand erosion where soil has been taken for the dam.
At kp 16 , ties have been laid, but not yet aligned for rail laying
Looking north at kp 15 , there is only ballast
Xilinhot station under construction, and its surroundings. A poster shows how things should be in the future, but may never be, considering the lack of water here.
My general, subjective impression for photography: The line will be not too interesting.
Few photogenic places, short of the first 40 km out of Xilinhot. Much landscape
flat and contour less, desert like. It may be green during summer. However,
large stretches seem totally unvegetated. The area has had a terrible draught
for 3 years now.
