The New Badaling tunnel of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line was successfully cut through on Dec. 13.
According to the China Railway Beijing Group, the 12-kilometer tunnel was the longest and the last part to have finished construction among all the 10 tunnels along the main line of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail.
Due to complex geological structures and poor surrounding rock conditions, the project was highly risky and vulnerable to potential flooding and mud break.
Therefore, the construction team adopted new tunneling technologies that not only ensured smooth operation of the project, but also provided valuable expertise and practices for building a "smart" rail line, said officials from the China Railway No.5 Engineering Group, which was responsible for the tunneling.
The tunnel's completion has laid a solid foundation for the opening of the intercity rail line in 2019, which will cut travel time between the two cities from three and a half hours to less than an hour.
Starting at the Beijing North Railway Station, the line will travel a total of 174 kilometers before terminating at the Zhangjiakou South Railway Station. It is an important part for the national medium- and long-term railway construction plan, the so-called "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" railway network. The intercity rail line will link with the Zhangjiakou-Hohhot high-speed rail line.
