The Wushaoling Railway Tunnel, the longest of its kind in Asia,
opened for business on Thursday in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The 21.05-kilometer-long tunnel, more than 2,400 meters above
sea level, is a key part of the Asia-Europe Land Bridge's
3,651-km-long track from Lianyungang in east China to Urumqi in the
northwest.
Designed to permit trains to travel at speeds of 160 km per hour
the tunnel shortens the distance between Dacaigou and Longgou by
30.4 km.
The right hand side of the tunnel (east to west) opened on
Thursday while the other, for trains traveling in the opposite
direction, will be opened in October. The project provided a
significant boost for transportation between China's east and west
regions, a top Chinese railway official said.
The tunnel will also assist in easing the passenger
transportation pressure on the Asia-Europe Land Bridge -- the
cheapest and fastest Asia-Europe route. It starts from Lianyungang
and goes westward to its terminal at the Port of Rotterdam in the
Netherlands, the official said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2006)