Railway workers clean sand at Kazak Autonomous County of Aksay in northwest China's Gansu Province, Jan. 12, 2021. The Dunhuang railway, which fully opened in December 2019, intersects with existing railways, including the Lanzhou-Qinghai Railway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway, to form the first circular railway network in the northwestern region. Among them, the section from Yangguan to Shashangou is located in Shazaoyuan, a place known for its strong crosswind in the Kazak Autonomous County of Aksay. Sand would bury the track from time to time, posing a serious threat to railway operation. The 14 employees of Subei railway maintenance branch of Jiayuguan section of China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. undertake the task of maintenance, among which the most common work is to clean up the sand burying rail connection parts and sleepers. They have to set off at 5 o'clock in the morning to do the job with the lowest temperature in the Gobi Desert dropping to below minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter. It is also common to work for 6 hours at ordinary times and 10 hours under extreme weather condition. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)
