Update 11.03.2013
This is a scetch map of the place we're going to. We'll meet at the forestry lines in September ...
Update 09.02.2013
This is one of the rare occasions I publish a tour update. The reasons you'll see here: http://www.farrail-blog.com/englishposts/update-rongshan-9-2-2013/ The itinerary below is an emergency plan. Whether we are able to stick to the original plan or need to change to the emergency plan will be only clear close to the departure date and won't be communicated on the website, only to the participants.
Xinglongzhen: |
“It is very ill-advised to go there” were the words of a Chinese railway enthusiast when I met him for the first time in 1999. This was the same man who had also told us about Shibanxi. Together with a friend we were the first long noses at Shibanxi. At that time Shibanxi was a very interesting line, the diesels were dumped in a corner of the shed, the railway wasn’t electrified, no tourists anywhere. But forbidden fruits taste even sweeter. In 2000 I guided a group to this province of narrow gauge lines,
I also tried it on my own: the state railway refused to sell me a ticket to Rongshan, not one taxi driver I talked to would take the risk and only a driver of a public minibus took me aboard his crowded bus as far as a check point where the local police “invited” me from the bus and put me in another one in the opposite direction. The policemen said I needed a special permit to enter the area but this permit could be issued nowhere … Some Japanese railway enthusiasts made it to the line without a permit but, as long as they don’t speak they can pass as locals. Their pictures prove that the line is beautiful. However, the prisons next to the line are still in place, even though the railway doesn’t carry prisoners.
After all attempts failed someone with a very good record in arranging permits travelled to the site and got a permit! So, after twelve years of trying a group of foreigners is finally allowed to go there for the first time. The permission, however, lasts only as long as the particular people are in the right office. So we do not want to lose any time!
They still run two pairs of trains daily with steam. The planned electrification hasn’t started yet.
Date |
Itinerary |
17.03. |
Flight to |
18.03. |
Arrival |
19.03. |
Train K9392/K9393 Chengdu 08.50 14.15 hrs Guangyuan, charter bus to Rongshan to see the 15.20 hrs narrow gauge train leaving, charter bus to Guangyuan, hotel in Guangyuan |
20.03. |
Charter bus to and from Rongshan, visit to the narrow gauge line, hotel in Guangyuan |
21.03. |
Charter bus to and from Rongshan, visit to the narrow gauge line, hotel in Guangyuan |
22.03. |
Charter bus to and from Rongshan, visit to the narrow gauge line, hotel in Guangyuan |
23.03. |
Charter bus to and from Rongshan, taking pictures until the 15.20 hrs train has left the station, charter bus to Guangyuan and train T8869 Guangyuan 17.19 22.19 hrs Chengdu, Hotel near the airport (with airport shuttle bus) in Chengdu |
24.03. |
Hotel's shuttle bus to the airport and flight home |
I have had the following information for a dozen of years already in my collection, but the paper is marked with "No Publish" by the Chinese who gave it to me (he meant "do not publish"). As we now have permission to visit the line I think it's ok to come up with some details of this mysterious line. It's actually not a line which carried prisoners around - but it served the coal mines which were run by prisoners.
About 20 km east of Guangyuan, the 762 mm narrow gauge line starts. The main station is a combined standard/narrow gauge station. In 1999, SY 0669 (Tangshan 1973) did the work in the standard gauge section. Many of the standard gauge tracks are unused nowadays, at least one SY, 1434, was still parked in the shed recently. The SYs used to bring coal trains from Rongshan to the state railway in Anjiawan.
The narrow gauge line was built in the late 1950s. The operation started with the class RJ (Rongjian), built in
When the current fleet of locomotives arrived is unclear. But it's remarkable that they came from Harbin Forestry Machinery Factory; probably the only ones in
The narrow gauge line starts at its lowest point in Rongshan. There was one line to the north-east to "No. 5", a coal mine. This line was some three kilometres long. The production of this coal mine dropped as early as the late 1990s, with only one coal train a day serving the line. The line was active in 1999 and 2000, but since they built a paved road to the mine no. 5, the line is closed now. The other line is still in service. It is about seven kilometres long and winds through a scenic, rural and sometimes narrow river valley. The terminus is no. 1 (mine - in Google Earth you'll find the name Xiaoheli, the station name is Yujia Bian). As there is no road access to the mine (there is only an unpaved road on the other side of the valley which is connected to the village and mine by a suspension bridge) the line still survived until today. But, recently, there has been a dramatic decline in traffic. While in 1999 the line saw eleven pairs of trains a day, it sees nowadays only two passenger or mixed trains, one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
Roughly a third of the way along the line close to a scenic bridge and a not so scenic tunnel is a larger prison camp with modern concrete buildings. This prison incorporates a mine and production from this mine is still carried by the railway. The station at the prison is called Shanzi Ba.
During its heyday, the railway had more than ten locomotives. Nowadays one or two locomotives can handle all the traffic. But for how long is rather uncertain road construction is underway.
The line has several beautiful photo spots. Farmers regularly grow rape here and, in March, it should be in blossom.
Trains leaving Rongshan tender first uphill and returning chimney first downhill. Not what a photographer really wants, but that's been their style of operation for decades. The passenger trains consist of two yellow painted passenger coaches. Often they also take a platform wagon and a caboose with them. Coal wagons may be another option.
The timetable of the passenger trains:
Rongshan | 07.40 | 09.10 | 15.20 | 17.30 |
Yujia Ba | 08.10 | 08.40 | 15.15 | 17.00 |
Bold: chimney first.
The permission we received after twelve years of trial and error is based on personal relations, as usual in
You should bear in mind that others who also want to visit the line will try their luck instantly I publish this itinerary. This may well spoil our intention to go there. I cannot say how far the extremely high permission fee we’re paying will protect us a little from other requests for an instant visit, but remember that others who want to be the first ones, to inflate their ego or kill our tour (or both), might well mess things up and this is beyond our control. We’ve set up our visit properly, but we have no influence over those who might want to claim this location as "first westerners there" and will not consider other enthusiasts who might like to follow them.
The existence of the line is in danger. Rumours are around that they'll electrify the line soon - but so far there is no evidence, not even the poles which were reported already. On the other hand they have two diesel locomotives parked in the depot. Every Chinese New Year might bring a change but going there earlier makes no sense: the few remaining trains run partly in darkness in winter. The problem with going later is that the people in charge may change. Hence, we can't give any kind of guarantee. Without a pioneering spirit you should not book this tour. It's a risk. On the other hand, the window of opportunity for visiting this line might be very small. There are several proofs that those who come later might be too late. Another one bites the dust ...
We cannot say whether or not we'll be able to reach the line with a charter bus. We may need to hire motorbikes (not included in the tour price, just an option if our minibuses can't make it). I have not been able to visit the line personally so far, although I have tried every legal way on my own. But the high resolution on Google Earth makes it easy to see the line and its photographic potential.
We expect the lowest morning temperatures to be around ten to 20 degrees Centigrade while afternoon temperatures can still reach more than 25 degrees Centigrade.
The voltage in
Our philosophy is to provide opportunities to get that perfect shot rather than a time consuming 5-star breakfast buffet (which is difficult to get there anyhow). On occasions lunch will be served as a packed meal. Beverages are not included in the tour price.
Hotels, charter buses and trains represent the standard of our host country, which may deviate from European and American expectations. While we will endeavour to avoid long walks, some photo positions may require an extra but worthwhile effort.
The hotels used will be of medium class (three to four stars).
The train rides are booked in hard sleeper or seated class. Hard sleeper compartments are open and normally comprise six berths.
Hygienic and environmental standards in
We need to fly to
China | ||
The Last Frontier: Prison Railway at Rongshan | 12 to 25 participants | £1,670 |
17.03.2013 24.03.2013 | 8 to 11 participants | £1,780 |
Single room surcharge | £260 | |
Registration Deadline: 10.01.2013 |
The price includes:
Not included are:
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