WORK IS to start this year on a 1390 km line across the Ulan Buh and Badain Jaran deserts in northern China, connecting Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang.

No timetable has been announced for completion of the line, which is being managed by Chinese Railways' regional administration in Hohhot. It is intended to provide a direct link between Beijing and northwest China, following the historic northern Silk Road corridor.

Starting from Linhe on CR's Baotou - Zhongwei route, the new line will run west for 1070 km through Inner Mongolia, paralleling the Mongolian border to serve Daiain Hob and Saihan Toroi, already reached by a branch from Qingshuipu. Briefly passing through northern Gansu, the line will skirt the Karlik Shan mountain range before joining the Lanzhou - Urumqi route at Hami.

• Officials from the Ministry of Railways and Sichuan have signed an accord to accelerate the construction of new lines in the province over the next five years. Investment of 18·4bn yuan is envisaged, including upgrading of the Chengdu - Dazhou line as part of a high-capacity east-west corridor linking Chengdu, Wuhan and Shanghai. Other projects include double-tracking the Chengdu - Kunming and Chongqing - Suining lines plus construction of a new line from Lanzhou to Chongqi.