A single track railway is becoming the biggest bottleneck for the transportation of coal from Xinjiang. On June 11, 2026, the logistics high-quality development conference of the key railway corridor of Linha was held in Urumqi, at which a clear signal was released: the two major projects of the expansion and reconstruction of Ejina Hami section and the construction of Naomaohu wutong water are planned to start within the year, and the transport capacity of the northern wing corridor of Xinjiang railway will be doubled.

From single line to double line

The total length of the Linha backbone railway channel is about 1973 kilometers, with a total investment of about 66.5 billion yuan. It is designed according to the double track electrification 10000 ton heavy load standard, and has an annual transportation capacity of over 200 million tons. The channel covers four projects: the expansion and renovation of the Linhe Ejina section has been launched in 2025; The capacity expansion and reconstruction of Ejina Hami section and the new Naomaohu wutong water project are planned to start within the year; The construction of the second line from Jiangjun Temple to Naomao Lake is being accelerated, and it is expected to be fully opened by the end of 2026.

The Linha Railway starts from Linhe Station on the Baolan Railway in the east, passes through Alxa in Inner Mongolia and Subei in Gansu, and enters Xinjiang, connecting with Hami Station on the Lanxin Railway. It has a total length of 1390 kilometers and is a mainline channel that connects northwest to north China. However, this railway has been operating as a single track for a long time. With the continuous increase in coal transportation volume from Xinjiang, the tight transportation capacity has become increasingly prominent. The northern wing channel has become a key shortcoming restricting the efficient transportation of national energy.

Get through the last mile

The channel aims to be completed and put into operation by 2027, forming a logistics artery that stretches from Jiangjun Temple in Xinjiang in the west to Linhe in Inner Mongolia in the east, radiating to the northwest, central and southern regions, northern China, and coastal areas, covering most of the coal demand areas in the country. The conference also clarified that it will accelerate the construction of railway dedicated lines, collection and distribution bases, and logistics stations, and create a transportation pattern of channels, hubs, and networks. During the operation phase, innovative mechanisms for capacity sharing, source integration, and revenue sharing will be implemented, linking financial and think tank institutions to provide one-stop services. Keywords: railway transportation, railway construction，logistics

The significance of this passage goes far beyond just transporting a few more coal trips. It is reshaping the logistics logic of the Northwest energy map, directly linking Xinjiang's resource endowment with the market demand in North and East China. When single track to double track and 10000 ton trains become normalized, the northern wing of Xinjiang will truly transform from the end of energy transportation to a hub.Editor/Cheng Liting