Construction on the Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway (Chengdawan High-Speed Railway) has officially commenced with the first 500-meter section of track laid on October 1st at 8:18 AM at Nanchong North Station in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. This significant milestone marks the transition of the project from underground engineering to above-ground construction, paving the way for its timely completion.
A Key Link in China’s High-Speed Rail Network
The Chengdawan High-Speed Railway is a crucial component of China’s national ‘Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal’ high-speed rail network, specifically forming part of the Yangtze River corridor. The line originates from Chengdu Tianfu Station in Sichuan Province and traverses through Ziyang, Suining, Nanchong, and Dazhou in Sichuan, before entering Kaizhou District and Wanzhou District in Chongqing. It will connect to the existing Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-Speed Railway at Wanzhou North Station.
With a total main line length of 477 kilometers, the railway is designed for a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The entire track-laying scope for the Chengdawan High-Speed Railway encompasses approximately 890 kilometers of track, including 178 sets of turnouts – 133 of which are ballasted and 45 are unballasted.
Progress and Future Impact
The successful start of track laying signifies that key offline construction milestones, including bridge pile foundations, capping beams, and pier construction, have been fully completed. Tunneling, station construction, and the ‘four electricity’ (power supply, signaling, telecommunications, and monitoring) engineering aspects are progressing in an orderly manner according to schedule.
Upon its completion, the Chengdawan High-Speed Railway is expected to establish a convenient passenger transport corridor directly connecting Chengdu with the Central Plains and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This development is anticipated to play a vital role in promoting the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and fostering the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt.
Understanding China’s High-Speed Rail Network
China’s ambitious ‘Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal’ high-speed rail network is a master plan designed to connect the nation with a high-speed transportation backbone. The ‘Eight Vertical’ lines include:
- Coastal Corridor
- Beijing-Shanghai Corridor
- Beijing-Guangzhou (Taiwan) Corridor
- Beijing-Harbin-Beijing-Guangzhou-Macau Corridor
- Hohhot-Nanning Corridor
- Beijing-Kunming Corridor
- Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou Corridor
- Lanzhou (Xi’an)-Guangzhou Corridor
The ‘Eight Horizontal’ lines consist of:
- Suifenhe-Manzhouli Corridor
- Beijing-Lanzhou Corridor
- Qingdao-Yinchuan Corridor
- Lianyungang-Urumqi Corridor (New Eurasian Land Bridge)
- Along the Yangtze River Corridor
- Shanghai-Kunming Corridor
- Xiamen-Chongqing Corridor
- Guangzhou-Kunming Corridor
The Chengdawan High-Speed Railway’s inclusion within the Yangtze River corridor underscores its strategic importance in enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration across southwestern China and beyond.
