The longest high-speed railway tunnel connecting Xi'an and Shiyan completed

The Xiling tunnel, a key project of Xi’an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway, constructed by Xi'an-Chengdu High-Speed Railway Shaanxi Company and undertaken by China Railway Seventh Group, was officially completed on April 11.

Located in the low to medium mountainous area of the Qinling Mountains in Shangzhou district, Shangluo city, Shaanxi province in Northwest China, the Xiling tunnel is a double-tunnel, single-track high-speed railway tunnel. The total length of the left tunnel is 18,083 meters, and the right tunnel is 18,032 meters. This makes it the longest connected tunnel among similar tunnels in China’s high-speed railway projects.

The successful completion of this project presents a major breakthrough in the construction of ultra-long and complex geological high-speed railway tunnels in China. It also lays a solid foundation for the subsequent construction of ballastless tracks and ensures the timely completion of the entire high-speed railway linking Xi’an, capital city of Shaanxi province, and Shiyan, a city in Hubei province.

During the construction process, Xi'an-Chengdu High-Speed Railway Shaanxi Company continuously enhanced technological innovation, optimized processes, promoted intelligent construction, and adopted specialized equipment such as cantilever tunneling machines, anchor drills, self-laying intelligent lining trolleys, and automated monitoring and measurement systems to ensure both construction progress and quality.

Additionally, the company employed technologies such as geological radar, advanced geological forecasting, 3D laser scanning, and drone oblique photography to adjust construction parameters in real-time. This significantly improved construction efficiency while ensuring safety and quality.

The successful completion of the Xiling tunnel is a significant achievement for China in  overcoming complex challenges of building extra-long and high-risk high-speed railway tunnels. It has provided valuable experience for similar projects in the future, said Tang Jungang, deputy commander of the project headquarters of Xi'an-Chengdu High-Speed Railway Shaanxi Company.

The Xi’an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway is an essential part of the national high-speed railway network. Once completed and operational, the travel time between Xi'an and Shiyan will be reduced to under one hour. Additionally, the train travel time between Wuhan, capital city of Hubei province and Xi'an is expected to be shortened to 2.5 hours. This will have significant  implications for driving economic and social development along the line and improving the layout of the national high-speed railway network.