HSR expansion makes steady progress in western China

Amid the country's new push to increase the operating mileage of railways, constructors from China Railway No 4 Engineering Group (CREC4) have completed the nation's first large-span rod-tied arch bridge with cable suspension on a high-speed railway.

The 443.1-meter railway bridge, traversing the Yingshan-Dazhou Expressway and located in the prefecture-level city of Dazhou in Sichuan province, was completed on Jan 22, consisting of three parallel bridges — a main bridge on the Xi'an-Chongqing High-Speed Railway, along with left and right connecting bridges.

The bridge was built in three stages: The first was the completion of the main arch bridge on July 11, 2025, weighing 2,600 metric tons and measuring 147 meters long and 17 meters wide. The second was the completion of the left link bridge on Dec 17, 2025, boasting a weight of 1,531 tons and measuring 136 meters long length and 11.4 meters wide. The third was the completion of the right link bridge on Jan 22, weighing 1,531 tons and measuring 136 meters long length and 11.4 meters wide.

Part of the larger Xi'an-Chongqing HSR, which is part of the Beijing-Kunming HSR — a key component of China's "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" HSR network — the new arch bridge sits on the 478-kilometer Ankang-Chongqing section and links the municipalities and provinces of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan.

Wang Junlou, chief engineer of the Dazhou Command of the Beijing-Kunming HSR Xi'an-Kunming Co, said the CREC4 builders have adhered to "precision control" and "process coordination" to systematically control the installation of tie-rod arch supports, suspension cables, steel structure docking and welding, and multi-process connections of beams and arches.

He noted that at present, the Ankang-Chongqing section is progressing steadily, with 45 tunnels and 63 bridges completed. The project has now entered a critical stage involving beam erection, station building, and power engineering.

On Jan 4, during the working conference for the country's railway sector, China Railway promised to expand the country's railway network from the current 165,000 kilometers to 180,000 kilometers by the end of 2030. As part of the effort, the country's high-speed railway will grow from the current 50,000 kilometers to 60,000 kilometers during the same period.

Zeng Yan, a bridge specialist for the Xi'an-Chongqing HSR project at China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd, said the innovative arch bridge employs a grid-type hanger structure, making it the country's largest grid-type hanger cable-stayed arch bridge on a high-speed railway.

Yan Mingsai, manager of the Xi'an-Chongqing HSR project department from CREC4, mentioned the application of "four new" technologies that effectively guaranteed the project's engineering quality and construction safety.

It has been learned that the Ankang-Chongqing section starts from Ankang West Station and passes through Ankang, Chengkou county under Chongqing, Dazhou and Guang'an, Hechuan district and Beibei district in Chongqing, before joining Chongqing West Station.

Upon completion, the Xi'an-Chongqing HSR will link such lines as Chengdu-Chongqing HSR, Xi'an-Yan'an HSR, Zhengzhou-Chongqing HSR, as well as the Chongqing-Kunming HSR, improving transportation connectivity across the central and western regions, and facilitating the development of China's western region.

Please contact the writer at hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn