Undersea section of high-speed rail tunnel makes landmark progress

The China Railway Design Corp announced on Thursday that its Tunnel Boring Machine has already dug a 3,000-meter section of the Zhanjiang Bay undersea tunnel, some 1,600 meters of which runs under the seabed, marking an important stage in the construction of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang high-speed railway.

The 9,640-meter tunnel is a key part of the line.

The TBM can excavate at a speed of about 10 to 12 meters a day, with a record of 18 meters per day.

Construction on the 401-km line, with a designated speed of 350 kilometers per hour, started in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2024.