New rail link near Dam to open by end of 2025
2024-04-16 18:04:00
By Chen Si, Yichang International Communication Studio
A railway crucial for transporting goods across the Three Gorges Dam is set to be completed by the end of 2025, reaching the halfway point of construction on April 12.
The Yichang South Railway Station to Maoping Port railway is being funded and built by Yichang Chengfa Group and spans around 40 kilometers. It comprises 25 bridges and 13 tunnels and is a vital element of the Three Gorges Over-dam Transportation System. This system aims to handle the growing demand for goods to traverse the Three Gorges Dam, which currently requires ships to pass through the Three Gorges ship lock.
There are two major ports on either side of the Three Gorges Dam: Maoping Port upstream and Baiyang Port downstream. To navigate the dam, goods must go through a complex process involving road, rail, and water transport.
Seventy percent of goods reach their destinations through rail-water and road-water connections via Baiyang Port. Meanwhile, thirty percent of high-value goods are solely transported by waterway through the two ports.
Once operational, the new rail link will connect Maoping Port and Baiyang Port, seamlessly bridging water and rail transport and eliminating the need for road transport.
This development will further enhance the Yangtze River transport system and increase transit speed in the Three Gorges Hub.
Photo by Zheng Jiayu
A railway crucial for transporting goods across the Three Gorges Dam is set to be completed by the end of 2025, reaching the halfway point of construction on April 12.
A bird's-eye view of the Yichang-Maoping Port Railway currently under construction.
Photo by Zheng Jiayu
Photo by Zheng Jiayu
The Yichang South Railway Station to Maoping Port railway is being funded and built by Yichang Chengfa Group and spans around 40 kilometers. It comprises 25 bridges and 13 tunnels and is a vital element of the Three Gorges Over-dam Transportation System. This system aims to handle the growing demand for goods to traverse the Three Gorges Dam, which currently requires ships to pass through the Three Gorges ship lock.
There are two major ports on either side of the Three Gorges Dam: Maoping Port upstream and Baiyang Port downstream. To navigate the dam, goods must go through a complex process involving road, rail, and water transport.
Seventy percent of goods reach their destinations through rail-water and road-water connections via Baiyang Port. Meanwhile, thirty percent of high-value goods are solely transported by waterway through the two ports.
Once operational, the new rail link will connect Maoping Port and Baiyang Port, seamlessly bridging water and rail transport and eliminating the need for road transport.
This development will further enhance the Yangtze River transport system and increase transit speed in the Three Gorges Hub.
Photo by Zheng Jiayu
