The Chinese government is advancing the construction of the Gaoligong Mountains Tunnel, a 34.5km project on the Dali-Ruili railway in Yunnan province, despite geological challenges, underground water, and dense vegetation.
The tunnel will connect Nujiang Station and Longling Station as part of a broader effort to enhance railway connectivity in the region.
A construction breakthrough was achieved on 30 July 2021, with the China Railway Tunnel Group, a subsidiary of China Railway Group (CREC), completing the connection between the small-mileage parallel adit for the inclined shaft and the tunnel entrance.
CREC stated that this development resolved issues related to reverse-slope drainage in the longest inclined railway shaft, marking a key step in advancing the China-Myanmar international railway, a segment of the Pan-Asia railway network under the Belt and Road Initiative.
According to CREC, the Gaoligong Mountain Rail Tunnel is the first large-scale tunnel to pass through the Hengduan Mountains. The project involves passage through 19 active fault belts and complex geological conditions, ranking among the most technically demanding tunnel developments globally. The tunnel’s inclined shaft, at 3.8km, is said to be the longest in China.
Once operational, the Dali-Ruili railway is expected to cut travel time between Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, and Ruili from nine hours to five, improving transport efficiency in the region.
