In its heyday, this railway undertook the task of transporting more than 800,000 tons per year from Matian coal mine. Several freight cargoes, road maintenance cars and rail wagons shuttled back and forth on this narrow gauge with more than 240 train crews. In the 1980s, the coal mine also added a passenger train to facilitate the travel of nearly 20,000 employees and nearby residents in the mining area. Over 50 years of operation, it has transported more than 30 million tons of coal, and occupies a pivotal position in local economic development.