Tunneling break-through made on China-Laos Railway building

Songxiang No.3 tunnel,  the first tunnel on Yuxi-Mohan section of the China-Laos railway, was cut through completely on July 18, marking a major breakthrough in the construction of the international railway.

The No.3 tunnel runs 220 meters. The complex and changeable geology made the construction difficult. The No.3 tunnel digging of started on the 5th of April this year and ended after more than 100 days of hard slogging.

The China-Laos Railway starts from Kunming, goes through Yuxi, Pu’er and Xishuangbanna, crosses the border at Mohan Port and finally reaches Vientiane. The total length is about 1,000 kilometers.

At present, the railway building is in full swing. The Yuxi-Mohan section will connect Yunnan to Laos and Thailand. With a designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour, the 508km Yunnan section is meant to make the province better serve the Belt and Road Initiative. 

When put into service, the railway will reduce the Kunming-Jinghong (in Xishuangbanna Prefecture) to three hours. And a morning train that sets off in Kunming is expected to reach Vientiane in the evening.

Editor: Eric Wang