On October 7 at 9 AM, the long-awaited autumn maintenance work kicked off on the Daqin Railway, often hailed as “China’s Premier Heavy-haul Railway.”
Stretching from Datong in Shanxi province to Qinhuangdao in Hebei province, the Daqin Railway is distinguished as China’s first double-track electrified heavy-haul coal transport line. Its extensive network serves 26 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, connecting all six major power grids across the nation. In addition, it plays a crucial role in coal transportation for over 6,000 companies, including the five largest power generation firms and more than 380 key power plants and major steel manufacturers.
As October unfolds, the railway has reported an impressive transport volume of 1.192 million tons for the month, reflecting a 15.9% increase from the previous month. To swiftly restore operational efficiency post-peak production, a dedicated maintenance program is set to run from October 7 to October 26, spanning 20 days.
During this maintenance window, Daqin Railway will suspend operations and cut power along the entire route daily from 9 AM to 12 PM. The extensive maintenance efforts will involve not only replacing tracks, sleepers, and ballast but also repairing switches, with a particular emphasis on comprehensive work on bridges and tunnels. Specifically, the tasks will include replacing 127.6 kilometers of rail, 17,500 sleepers, and 17 sets of switches, as well as extensive clearing and maintenance across 86 kilometers of the track bed, along with work on 53 bridges and 5 tunnels.
To ensure the quality and efficiency of the maintenance work, approximately 9,000 personnel will be deployed, supported by 56 large construction machines, 132 small machines, and 54 track maintenance vehicles. Each operational segment—covering Datong, Chawu, Taiyuan, and Qinhuangdao—has developed tailored construction plans based on a scientifically designed overall strategy, enabling precise and thorough progress.
To guarantee stable energy transportation during this maintenance phase, the Taiyuan Bureau of China National Railway is focused on meeting its annual transport targets for the Daqin Railway. They have established a centralized construction command in Chawu and a sub-command in Datong, effectively coordinating and directing on-site operations. By fostering close collaboration among scheduling, operations, construction, equipment, and support units, the railway is optimizing train services around the construction timetable, ensuring smooth management that balances both maintenance and transportation commitments.
This intensive maintenance initiative aims to significantly elevate the quality of the track and associated equipment, enhance transportation safety, and create optimal conditions for expanded operations along this vital rail line.
