In the morning light of the Sahara Desert, the railway tracks stretch across the sandy sea like a long black strip. In the western hinterland of Algeria, more than 8000 Chinese and Arab builders worked day and night to achieve great results. On February 1st local time, the mining line project of the western railway in Algeria, constructed by China Railway Construction, was officially opened to traffic. This north-south steel corridor carries the expectation of regional linkage development and has become a benchmark project for pragmatic cooperation in infrastructure between China and Arab countries. This is the first desert heavy-duty railway in Africa, with a total length of 950 kilometers. The newly built 575 kilometer railway trunk line is jointly contracted by China and Arab countries, and is the largest single project undertaken by Chinese enterprises in Afghanistan. The railway connects the Bexar Province with the Galajebilet iron ore mining area in the Tindouf Province. The completion and opening of the project has further improved the railway network in Algeria, supporting connectivity and economic development in the southwestern region of the country. At the opening ceremony on the same day, Algerian President Teben stated that with the participation of Chinese enterprises, the construction speed of the project has set a record. He thanked Chinese friends for overcoming difficult natural conditions and successfully completing the project construction. The environment of the Sahara Desert is complex and ever-changing, making railway construction extremely challenging. ”Dong Lin, the project manager of China Railway Construction's western railway mining line in Algeria, introduced that in the past two years, in the Sahara Desert where the highest temperature reaches over 50 degrees Celsius, Chinese and Arab builders have been writing stories of overcoming difficulties in an environment of "no one, no water, no oil, and no signal". In the early stages of construction, the project embarked on a 'stone seeking journey'. Why search for stones when repairing railways? This is a crucial link in the smooth progress of railway construction, "said Dong Lin." Ballast is the stone material used for railway subgrade, and the estimated consumption of the project is about 3.6 million tons. At the beginning of the project, only one usable material field was identified locally. If we rely on external procurement, it will not only be far away and costly, but also difficult to guarantee supply stability. After multiple evaluations, the project team has decided to build their own ballast production line, and finding qualified stone sources has become the key to breaking the deadlock. Vice General Manager Wu Haicheng led the formation of a survey team and embarked on a journey to search for rocks in the desert. There are no landmarks to follow in the desert, getting lost, breaking down, or getting stuck in a car is the norm. The farthest survey was over 40 kilometers in a straight line, "Wu Haicheng recalled. Visiting geological and mining departments, seeking advice from retired geological experts, consulting with nomadic people, repeatedly analyzing the surface color difference on satellite maps... Our footprints are scattered throughout the desert. ”Project engineer Ismail said, 'Without network signal, we saved professional information and rock catalogs in advance on our phones, compared each drawing and sorted out geological archives one by one.' The transfer occurred during an unexpected survey during a return trip. After investigating an area without any results and seeing the sky gradually darken, the team drove back. When they reached a dry riverbed, the exposed rocks on the ground caught everyone's attention. On site inspection confirmed that this is a granite rock mass with sufficient reserves. After a hundred twists and turns, this piece of stone finally resolved the fundamental problem of railway construction. Chinese companies are trustworthy partners! ”Beneabia Apode Safir, the manager of the mining line of the Western Railway of the Algerian National Railway, said that although the construction conditions of the project were very difficult, Chinese personnel overcame various difficulties to promote the progress of the project. Track laying meets technology - a one-time laying of over 500 meters is tailored to local conditions to promote project progress. In extreme desert conditions, both China and Arab countries strengthen technological integration and standard construction to advance project construction. In response to the desert environment, the Chinese side adopts a slim waist structure and reserves sand discharge holes in the design of rail sleepers, effectively reducing wind and sand accumulation, improving track stability, and reducing later maintenance and operation costs. We did not simply copy Chinese standards, but worked together with the Algerian team to tackle and repeatedly demonstrate, "said Li Yunhua, the chief engineer of the project. In the end, the team completed the sleeper design for 32.5-ton axle load freight cars and 160 kilometer per hour passenger cars operating together, and successfully passed relevant certifications," achieving the integration of Chinese standards with Algerian and European railway standards. Bilal, the project supervisor and track construction leader, praised the performance of Chinese equipment endlessly: 'The Chinese CPG500 long track laying machine has overturned my perception.'. ”He said that the equipment can lay tracks over 500 meters long at once, with precise positioning and outstanding continuous operation capabilities. "Even in desert environments with high temperatures of 55 degrees Celsius, frequent sandstorms, and significant temperature differences between day and night, it can still maintain stable operation. This reliability is particularly valuable in desert construction. The navigation measurement system and 3D laser scanner introduced by the Chinese side can calibrate measurement deviations caused by high temperatures and dust in real time, achieving dynamic control of construction accuracy and precise implementation of design schemes. Abdulrazak Baziz, the on-site manager of the cooperative enterprise in Algeria, said frankly: "Under such difficult conditions, the reason why we were able to carry out efficient construction is not only due to China's advanced technology and equipment, but also due to the deep collaboration between the two sides. We have achieved a high degree of synchronization between construction organization and team cooperation." With the support of hardcore technology, the project set a record of laying 4.5 kilometers of welded rails and 5200 prefabricated sleepers in a single day. Beleh Youssef, an engineer at the Algerian National Railway Bureau, said, "During that period, the project department worked day and night, with equipment not stopping and personnel working in shifts, maintaining an orderly and efficient construction rhythm." In his view, the core of efficient construction was not simply increasing manpower, but rather a mature technical system and scientific organizational management. Working with our Chinese colleagues, we not only learned operational skills, but also established a heavy-duty railway construction system that adapts to extreme environments and balances efficiency and safety. These experiences will profoundly affect the construction mode of future railway projects in Algeria, "said Beleh Yousufu. The advanced track laying technology has promoted the technological upgrading of the Algerian railway industry. ”The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of Algeria, Abdelkader Djelaoui, stated that "Chinese companies have cultivated a group of railway professional and technical talents for Algeria, built a mature industrial talent pool, and become a model for carrying out large-scale infrastructure projects in desert areas. The reputation of 'building railways with China Railway Construction' has deeply rooted in people's hearts in Algeria." Spreading technology warms people's hearts - the talent team is not only strengthening railway construction projects, but also building a bridge of people to people communication between China and Algeria. According to the needs of the Algerian Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure and the National Railway Administration, China Railway Construction Corporation has specially organized multiple railway technology and management training sessions for senior management personnel in Algeria to deepen mutual trust through technology sharing. Benharima Ahmed Farouk, the technical manager of the Algerian National Railway Bureau who has attended training in China, said that the relevant training system introduces the technical standards and management experience of Chinese railways, which helps to promote mutual trust and expand cooperation between Algeria and China in the railway field. The project has also provided a platform for local residents to increase employment, income, and grow and succeed. At the first modern intelligent rail sleeper factory in Algeria built as a supporting project, 26 year old local youth Debka Mohammed is already a management backbone. Recalling the scene when he first entered the factory, he said, "Faced with the roaring automated production line, I secretly made up my mind to master the technology and be competent in the position." In his work, Debka took the initiative to record the key points of the process, study operational skills, learn concrete pouring, equipment debugging and other skills from Chinese masters, and quickly grew into a "versatile" in the position. Nowadays, he has become an independent "master" and leads the training of new employee skills. I hope to drive more Algerian employees to become project backbone and continuously strengthen the local skilled talent team, "said Debka. This railway is an important artery for the development of the national economy, carrying the dual mission of transporting resources and connecting people's livelihoods. ”Farid Halish, Customer Director of the Algerian National Railway Transport Company, introduced that after its opening, the maximum carrying capacity of freight trains can reach 17000 tons, with a single carriage carrying 100 tons. The annual transportation capacity of iron ore is 50 million tons, and the finished and semi-finished products in the Besar Industrial Zone are 25 million tons. It will also take into account the needs of people's livelihood travel. "Two two-way passenger trains will be operated every day to open up convenient channels for regional personnel travel. During the operation and maintenance phase of the project line, no less than 3000 job opportunities will be directly created, providing a stable source of income for local residents. Abdulkader bin Salah, a resident of Tindouf Province, is full of expectations: "This railway connects mining areas, cities, and ports, hoping to better promote the development and utilization of local resources, bring more employment opportunities and development space for young people, and promote the long-term development of Algeria