Tracklaying completed on new transshipment railway

By Yan Wanqin

Tracklaying on the railway dedicated to Maoping Port was completed on October 30, as the final 100-meter rail section was installed at Maoping Port Station. This marks a key step for China's first freight railway designed for transshipment around the Three Gorges Dam.

The 39.59-kilometer Maoping Port Access Railway will connect Yichang South Railway Station with Maoping Port. It will improve connections between waterways, roads and rail transportation, strengthening the Three Gorges multimodal transport network.

The route has 13 tunnels and 29 bridges, which account for nearly 90 percent of its total length, making it one of the most difficult railway projects of its kind.

“Because the railway runs close to the operating Yichang-Wanzhou Railway, safety control for track operation vehicles is demanding. Ventilation is also a major challenge in the single-track tunnels,” said Du Jianhua, head of the project’s engineering department.

The project team adopted a hybrid approach that combined mechanical and manual methods and installed large jet fans to ensure workplace safety, Du said.

Tracklaying began on September 9 and took 51 days. The team will now proceed with electrical and signaling works at Yichang South Railway Station, as well as the station building and yard paving at Maoping Port Station.

The overall construction is about 98 percent complete, with subgrade, bridge and tunnel works finished and station-related works at 85 percent. The project is scheduled to complete its main work by the end of December.

Yang Xue and Li Boyan contributed to this story.