Shiziyang Tunnel
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | China Railway Group China Railway 12th Bureau Group |
| Opened | 26 December 2011 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5.3 kilometres 5.5 kilometres |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Operating speed | 250km/h (350km/h designed) |
The Shiziyang Tunnel is a high-speed railway tunnel under Shiziyang, the northern part of the Pearl River estuary in China.[1]
Route
[edit]The 10.8 km long tunnel is part of a 140-kilometer (87 mi)-long high-speed line from Guangzhou to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It is designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h (usually 250 km/h in operation) - the fastest underwater tunnel in the world.[2] as well as being China's longest underwater tunnel.[3] This allows rail journeys between Guangzhou and Hong Kong to take only 40 minutes – much faster than the previous 2-hour journey. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link is part of a broader expansion of high-speed rail in China; journeys from Beijing to Hong Kong will take only 8 hours.[4]
Construction
[edit]Construction began in November 2007, with a budget of CNY2.4 billion;[5] the tunnel was completed in 2011, and passenger services began on 26 December 2011.[4] Unusually, the tunnel boring machines were designed to be dismantled inside the tunnel.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "News in Brief". Railway Gazette International. 16 April 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ "China completes construction of world's fastest underwater railway tunnel". 12 March 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ "Study on Shiziyang Tunnel Engineering Geology and Shield Tunneling". 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Shiziyang underwater tunnel ready as part of High Speed Line to Hong Kong". HSL Zone. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Construction Starts at Shiziyang Tunnel in China". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.