Aytuna Ablikim, 29, remembers the old crowded coaches that used to carry travelers over four days and three nights from Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to Hotan city in the south of the region.
Carrying its first passengers, train No 5818 left Hotan in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at 11:30 am on Thursday and arrived at its destination Urumqi, the region's capital at 11:53 am on Friday.
China inaugurates world's first desert rail loop in Xinjiang--China Economic Net en.ce.cn - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from en.ce.cn Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The 2,712-km loop, encircling the Taklimakan, China s largest desert, and linking major cities including Aksu, Kashgar, Hotan and Korla along its route, is expected to put the development of Xinjiang, especially its southern part, on a faster track.