INTERCONNECTIVITY

Construction begins on China-Laos international railway cross-border tunne

On June 22, the Friendship Tunnel, an important part of the China-Laos international railway, began construc-tion, marking the official beginning of the middle line of the Pan-Asia railway network.

The Friendship Tunnel will be a cross-border railway tunnel connect-ing China and Laos. It is expected to extend for a total length of 9.8 kilome-tres, of which 7.2 kilometres will be in China, and 2.6 kilometres in Laos. The project will be completed in 56 months. It is so named to herald the long-standing friendship between the two peoples.

According to the project leader from China Railway Ergo Group Corporation (CREGC), the tunnel will pass through an area where mudstone is embedded in sandstone. The poor geological conditions will pose great engineering difficulties. To ensure safe and efficient construction, CREGC will carry out geological surveys while strictly complying with the support and design parameters adopted domestical-ly for tunnel construction equipment and technology.

The Yuxi-Mohan railway will start construction on April 19 of this year. It will run for 508 kilometres and is designed to have a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour. This national Class I electrified railway will require a total investment of 50.545 billion yuan. 

INTERCONNECTIVITY

Construction begins on China-Laos international railway cross-border tunne

On June 22, the Friendship Tunnel, an important part of the China-Laos international railway, began construc-tion, marking the official beginning of the middle line of the Pan-Asia railway network. The Friendship Tunnel will be a cross-border railway tunnel connect-ing China and Laos. It is expected to extend for a total length of 9.8 kilome-tres, of which 7.2 kilometres will bein China, and 2.6 kilometres in Laos. The project will be completed in 56 months. It is so named to herald the long-standing friendship between the two peoples. According to the project leader from China Railway Ergo Group Corporation (CREGC), the tunnel will pass through an area where mudstone is embedded in sandstone. The poor geological conditions will pose great engineering difficulties. To ensure safe and efficient construction, CREGCwill carry out geological surveys while strictly complying with the support and design parameters adopted domestical-ly for tunnel construction equipment and technology. The Yuxi-Mohan railway will start construction on April 19 of this year. It will run for 508 kilometres and is designed to have a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour. This national Class I electrified railway will require a total investment of 50.545 billion yuan.