Track-laying work completed for major railway in China's Xinjiang (4)

Workers join the ends of two rails together as part of the track-laying work for the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2021. The track-laying work for the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway, the final section of the Taklimakan Desert railway loop line, was completed on Monday morning in Xinjiang's Minfeng County. Construction on the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway started in December 2018. As a key national railway project extending over 825 km, it links up Hotan City in Hotan Prefecture with Ruoqiang County in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. The Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway is expected to open in June 2022. (Photo by Mu Zhipeng/Xinhua)