Shiziyang Tunnel
Overview
LineGuangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong
Operation
ConstructedChina Railway Group
China Railway 12th Bureau Group
Opened26 December 2011 (2011-12-26)
Technical
Length5.3 kilometres
5.5 kilometres
No. of tracks2
Operating speed250km/h

The Shiziyang Tunnel is a high-speed railway tunnel under Shiziyang, the northern part of the Pearl River estuary in China.[1]

Route

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

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

  1. ^ "News in Brief". Railway Gazette International. 16 April 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "Study on Shiziyang Tunnel Engineering Geology and Shield Tunneling". 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b "Construction Starts at Shiziyang Tunnel in China". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.

22°52′00″N 113°33′32″E / 22.86669°N 113.55881°E / 22.86669; 113.55881

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