Deputy Minister of Railways Mr Hu Yadong has recently written to his staff in charge of Urumqi Railway Bureau, instructing them to provide priority and flexibility in transporting Xinjiang cotton pickers and reporting the train schedules to the regional government. After the recent riot in the region, the MOR is treating the issue with special care and sensitivity.

Xinjiang has about 1.5m hectares of cotton fields this year, 13 per cent less than last year, and the harvest is expected to total 2.6m tons. The region relies on temporary cotton pickers from around the country and they depend on the railway system to reach their destinations in Xinjiang.

By 14 September, the MOR will have put on nine special routes for Xinjiang-bound cotton pickers involving 173 train services, each comprising at least 18 coaches.