The Hetian-Ruoqiang Railway spans 825.5 kilometers and is located along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, the world's second-largest mobile desert. About 534 kilometers of the railway are situated in wind and sand-prone areas, accounting for 65% of the total, making it a typical desert railway. The natural environment along the Hetian-Ruoqiang Railway is harsh, with a prevailing wind season lasting for up to 7 months.

　　To prevent sand hazards from affecting railway safety, the railway authority implemented the policy of "controlling sand before building railways in deserts" during the initial stages of construction, carrying out the wind and sand control project simultaneously with railway construction. They set up reed sand barriers and reed grids from the outside to the inside of the railway, followed by planting vegetation strips composed of trees and shrubs. The protective width varies from 110 meters to over 400 meters, forming a tiered sand control system to intercept wind and sand layer by layer.