The State Council of the People’s Republic of China has announced that the construction of a new railway tunnel to enhance China-Europe freight connectivity is advancing rapidly.
The 602m tunnel is under construction along the railway line connecting Suifenhe and the China-Russia border line in Suifenhe, which is situated northeast of China’s Heilongjiang Province.
It is set for completion in May 2025, replacing three 120-year-old tunnels.
Construction on the new Suifenhe tunnel continues even during the Spring Festival, with workers carrying out routine monitoring and inspection.
Suifenhe Port, a key hub on the eastern China-Europe freight train corridor, handles 900 China-Europe freight train trips and 88,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually.
The goal is to enhance connectivity for a key China-Europe rail hub.
Launched in 2011, the China-Europe freight rail supported land transport, connecting cities like Chongqing and Duisburg. Its results led to expanded routes linking cities like Chengdu, Wuhan, and Yiwu to European destinations such as Warsaw, Madrid, London, and Moscow.
Additionally, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, strengthened the China-Europe freight train service, boosting trade and connectivity along the ancient Silk Road.
This service has become a key component of the BRI, enhancing economic ties between China and Europe.
According to China Railway, the freight train network now links 224 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries, covering nearly all of Eurasia. This year, the service transported over 1.08 million TEUs, marking an 11% annual increase.
In a similar development, in October last year, China Railway 14th Bureau Group (CRCC14) announced that the tunnel for Beijing Subway Line 17 had been fully drilled, following the completion of its middle section.
