China: launch of a new high-speed rail line
The new high-speed rail linking the cities of Chengdu and Kunming in southwest China was put into operation yesterday Monday.
Designed to accommodate trains traveling at a maximum speed of 160 km/h, this 915 km line, which runs almost parallel to an existing railway linking Chengdu to Kunming, reduces travel time from 19 hours to 7, 5 hours.
The railway crosses several mountains and rivers, as many architectural challenges during its construction.
The new Chengdu-Kunming railway has seven long tunnels, each measuring more than 10 km, and 11 long-span bridges, said Wang Wei, a chief engineer with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co., Ltd., who carried out railway design work.
As a key project of China's Western Development Strategy, the railway is expected to promote economic growth and high-quality opening up of the country's southwestern regions.
Source: websites