A railway linking Kashi and Hotan in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in northwest China opened on 30 December for cargo transportation, reported Xinhua. Passenger transport is expected to begin in June, according to a local official.

The railway, which cost about Rmb5.1bn to build, is 488km long and passes along an important section of the ancient Silk Road in southern Xinjiang. It is expected to have an annual freight volume of 15m tons, and will particularly serve the mining industry, said Tang Shisheng, director of Urumqi Railway Bureau.