Zhundong Railway Summary

based on information given by Japanese Enthusiast

Acknowlegdment to J.Shirakawa and Mr.Sawaguchi

All picture are imported from Japenese websites. Copyright is by the photographers.

Location

The line starts at "ZhunGeEr", Inner Mongolia Province. ZhungGeEr is about 200km south of the Huhehaote (Hohhot).

The railway is called "Zhun Dong Railway". Current length of the line: 72,6 km.
Stations:

At ZhouJiaWan, the line connects with the electrified "DaZhun" line from Datong (Datong-Zhungeer line).

The line features 29 viaducts and 2 tunnels.

Linesiding

A problem is that, there are almost no good roads close to the railway line. There are only some dirt roads that reach the railway. Quite often, there are some 3 kilometers between the closest tar road and the railway line. Due to the slippery loess soil in this area, dirt roads are impassable after rainfalls! Taxi drivers will refuse to take such roads, too! There is the danger of massive landslides after rain, too! Be careful!

Map

Copied from an Chinese Road Map (acknowledgment to Bernd Seiler):

Access ∧ Accomodation

The best way to reach Zhungeer city is by car from Huhehaote (Hohot). It takes only 1,5 hours on a paved road.

There is basic hotel with hot shower in Zhungeer.

Line future

The line will be extended westwards up to BaTuTa station on the Dongsheng-Shenmu line. Dinstance between Zhungeer and Batuta will be 145km.
Inner Mongolia government plans to electrify this line within 15 years from the year 2000. "ZhunDong Railway" plans to use 14 QJs for the next 5 years. Afterwards, there are plans to electify the line.

History

The line was opened in December 2001. Construction started in 1998 and finished on December 16th 2000 (see http://news.gzic.gd.cn/jjkx/jjkx11/20010108/dzxxm18402.htm)

But probably, the line was opened section by section.

Zhun Dong Railway is a subsidiary of Yi Tai Coal Co, Ltd (http://www.yitaigroup.com).
There is a photo of a steam locomotive on the hompage of YiTai Group. Probably it was taken the line opening day.
Link: http://www.yitaigroup.com/mtys.htm

Operation

Currently, there are only few trains. About 2 to 4 trains run in daytime, but sometime none.
Most trains are double haeded by QJs, some trains have single QJs. Though the variable traffic pattern, 3 trains were in the same direction were observed within 1 hour.

Observations by Mr.Sawaguchi in late October 2002 were as follows:

Oct 24, 2002
Time Direction Location Train Set
08:55 wb Zhoujiawan QJ 7058+6759 (58 wagons)
11:23 wb Zhoujiawan QJ 6907+6613 (40 wagons)
12:33 wb Zhoujiawan QJ 7054+7067 (29 wagons)
15:?? eb Fuxingcheng ??
17:00 eb Fuxingcheng QJ 6563+6565 (24 wagons)
17:45 eb Fuxingcheng QJ 6613+6907 (24 wagons)
Oct 25 2002
09:35 wb Haizida motor trolley (2 wagons)
11:52 eb Fuxingcheng QJ 6907+???? (freight train)
13:05 eb Fuxingcheng motor trolley (2 wagons)
13:25 wb Fuxingcheng QJ 7054+6613 (freight)
14:05 wb Fuxingcheng QJ 7067 (freight)
Oct 26 2002
07:53 wb Haizida QJ+QJ (light engine)
09:11 wb Zhoujiawan QJ + 1 wagon + motor trolley
11:45 eb Zhoujiawan QJ 7067+???? (freight train)
13:10 eb Zhoujiawan QJ 7058+???? (freight train)
13:42 eb Zhoujiawan motor trolley + 1 wagon
14:22 eb Zhoujiawan QJ 6565 (10 wagons)

Locomotives

As of October 26th, 2002, the railway owns 14 QJs. 10 out of them are operational. All engines came second hand from the Baotou-Dongsheng-Shenmu line.

QJ6563, 6565, 6573, 6613, 6759, 6907, 6946, 6995, 7054, 7058, 7067
QJ(stored) 6555, 6827, 6944

All QJs belong to the Zhoujiawan steam shed.

Links

More information about Zhundong Railway can be found on Mr.Sawaguchi's homepage.

November 2002,
compiled by Florian Menius

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© 2002, F.Menius , email : Florian.Menius@tu-dresden.de