Scenic route
Hotan–Ruoqiang Railway
Hotan → Ruoqiang · China
- Distance
- 825 km
- Fastest time
- 11 h 26 min
- Top speed
- 120 km/h
- Operator
- China Railway
- Train
- 25G coaches (diesel-hauled)
- Countries
- China
- In service since
- 2022
Page last updated 2026-07-22 · figures are published values, not live data · corrections log
The 2022 desert line that closed the world’s first rail loop around a sand sea — 825 km along the Taklamakan’s southern rim on viaducts built to let the dunes blow through.
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- Bergensbanen
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- West Highland Line
Regularly voted the world’s most scenic railway: around Rannoch Moor and over the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct of film fame.
More train routes in China.