New breakthrough made in China's Helan mountain railway tunnel construction

This photo taken on April 7, 2023 shows an engineer machine working at an inclined shaft construction site of the first railway tunnel passing through the Helan Mountains in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

YINCHUAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A new breakthrough has been achieved in the construction of the first railway tunnel passing through the Helan Mountains in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, local authorities said.

The main tunnel construction has commenced, with workers now excavating both the entrance and exit in a two-way process, according to the authorities.

With a total length of 8,792 meters, the tunnel on the Yinchuan-Bayanhot railway is a single-line railway tunnel only used for passenger transportation.

The complex geological conditions within the tunnel have made construction highly challenging and vulnerable to a range of accidents, including rockfall, collapse, and water and mud inflows, which pose significant safety risks.

A national nature reserve, the Helan Mountains have a fragile ecological environment. Workers are also responsible for the tunnel construction works under the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"During the construction of the tunnel section under the Great Wall, we used mechanical excavation instead of blasting excavation to minimize the impact on the Great Wall," said He Lilei, chief engineer responsible for the tunnel construction.

Scheduled to open in 2026, the Yinchuan-Bayanhot railway will traverse the Helan Mountains, linking Ningxia with the neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The railway is expected to facilitate rapid and seamless connectivity between Ningxia and surrounding major cities.

The railway is of significant importance in promoting economic and social development, exploring tourism resources, and facilitating the opening up of the two regions.