As of Saturday, northwest China's Xinjiang Railway has surpassed 200 million tons in freight volume this year, achieving a year-on-year increase of 10 percent, according to China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. This milestone was reached 29 days ahead of last year's pace, as a freight train loaded with over 10,000 tons of coal departed from the Jiangjunmiao Station on Saturday.
Since the beginning of the year, Xinjiang Railway has implemented the operation of conventional passenger trains on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway, enabling simultaneous passenger and freight train services at the Urumqi hub.
Additionally, the capacity of the Xinjiang section of the Golmud–Korla Railway has been expanded, increasing daily train traffic from 26 to 39 trains.
"We have also strengthened communication and coordination with the dispatch office's traffic department to further improve transport efficiency. After optimization, the operation time has been reduced from the previous six hours to the current two hours," said He Yaming, deputy director of the Logistics Center of China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.
This year, the coal transport sector has seen remarkable growth, with exports from Xinjiang reaching 75.04 million tons, shooting up 51.5 percent year on year.
Moreover, the number of China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains passing through the dual-border stations of Xinjiang has continued to rise, reaching 13,500 trains, or a year-on-year increase of 13 percent. The cargo throughput at the border has exceeded 24 million tons, marking a 12 percent year-on-year growth.
Xinjiang railway transport volume exceeds 200 mln tons
Xinjiang railway transport volume exceeds 200 mln tons
China has stepped up efforts to promote the implementation of its multiple key marine ecological protection projects since the beginning of this year, with a balance between marine ecological protection and marine economic development.
In the waters off Weizhou Island in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, coral colonies cultivated through ecological restoration projects have successfully achieved large-scale natural spawning for the first time this year. The milestone indicates that a complete ecological self-recovery system has been established in the artificially restored marine area.
Across the country, the pace of construction on major ecological projects, including the Blue Bay environmental improvement initiative and coral reef restoration efforts, has accelerated since the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, pilot projects of the Harmonious and Beautiful Islands program have advanced steadily, with the first batch of 33 islands covered by the program taking shape as models of green landscapes, clean shores, clear waters and abundant marine life.
The improved health of coastal ecosystems is now fueling growth in emerging marine industries.
"From January to April, China's marine economy achieved innovation-driven and high-quality development. Marine passenger traffic and passenger turnover increased by 7.3 percent and 11.1 percent year on year, respectively. Several marine-derived medicines have also gained approval for clinical trials. Next, we will remain committed to protecting our country's blue seas and coastlines, and further strengthen the blue foundation for sustainable use of marine resources," said Meng Qinglei, deputy director of the Department of Marine Strategy, Planning and Economy at the Ministry of Natural Resources.
China achieves balanced development of marine ecology, economy
