Tunnelers pierce Changling tunnel
2022-12-31 20:12:23
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
On December 29, after 20 months of construction, engineers and tunnelers emerged into daylight at one of the two mouths of the Changling Tunnel, a key stretch of the Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway.
On December 29, after 20 months of construction, engineers and tunnelers emerged into daylight at one of the two mouths of the Changling Tunnel, a key stretch of the Yichang-Xingshan high-speed railway.
The new 109 km rail track will connect Yichang with the 818 km Zhengzhou – Wanzhou high-speed railway, which links Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, and Wanzhou District in Chongqing municipality.
Xingshan is a stop on the Zhengzhou – Wanzhou line within the area of Yichang City.
The Changling Tunnel, built by China Railway Tunnel Bureau, is located in Xingshan County. On the Yichang side, a single-hole tunnel runs into the mountain for 563 meters with double track, before splitting into two 1880-meter dual tunnel single-track sections. The distance between the two single-track tunnels is only two meters, a significant challenge in tunnel construction.
When the Yichang – Xingshan line is completed, it will create a new eastbound exit for the Sichuan-Chongqing railway network. Travel time from Yichang to Chongqing will drop from 4 hours to 2 hours, and from Yichang to Chengdu travel time will be cut to about 4 hours from about 6.5 hours.
