Dali–Ruili railway

The Dali–Ruili railway or Darui railway (大瑞铁路), is a single-track electrified railroad under construction in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. The line is slated to run 336.39 km (209 mi) from Dali to Ruili on the border with Myanmar.[1][2] The line traverses rugged terrain, and bridges and tunnels will account for 75% of the total track length, including the 34.5 km Gaoligongshan Tunnel through the Gaoligong Mountains.[1]

Gaoligong Mountain Rail Tunnel under construction near Mangshi

Construction began in May 2011 and was scheduled to take six years.[1][2] However, this has been repeatedly delayed, and as of 2019 the railway is scheduled to open only in 2022.[3][4] Cities and towns along route include Dali, Yangbi Yi Autonomous County, Yongping County, Baoshan, Mangshi and Ruili.

The line will have a design speed of 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph).[5]

History

As early as 1938, the British planned to build the Yunnan–Burma railway to connect British rule in Burma with Yunnan Province, but were unable to complete the project.[6]

Originally, the Chinese government proposed a rail connection between Kunming, China and Kyaukpyu, Myanmar. The railway was planned to follow the route of the existing Sino-Myanmar pipelines. After protests in Myanmar, the part of the railway in Myanmar was cancelled.[7] Only the Chinese part of the line between Dali and Ruili will now be constructed.

Construction on the Darui Line began in 2008.[8] In August 2012, the project received an additional investment of ¥5 billion, owing to the difficulty of tunneling through the rugged terrain, particularly the tunnel across the Dazhushan Mountain.[8] The huge rivers and geology have given the corridor the moniker World's Most Difficult Railway.

Trans-Asian Railway

The Dali–Ruili railway may some day form the western route of China's rail link with Southeast Asia, part of the Trans-Asian Railway. The authorities of the two countries considered the possibility of connecting it with the railways of Myanmar.[9][10] In 2018, another agreement was signed between the two countries' railway agencies for a feasibility study for a 431 km long railway connection from Mandalay to Muse (the Burmese town opposite Ruili).[11]

Rail connections

See also

References
  1. "抓住西部大开发机遇 重大工程顺利推进". 大理日报 (in Chinese). 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26.
  2. "大瑞铁路保瑞段奠基(图)". Xinhua (in Chinese). 31 May 2011.
  3. "Dali-Ruili Railway expected to open to traffic by 2021". 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  4. 卫岗：到2022年瑞丽将成为中国最大的内陆口岸 (31 January 2019). Yunnan Online.
  5. "大瑞铁路保山段已全面进入铺架阶段-保山市人民政府门户网站". www.baoshan.gov.cn. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  6. Garver, John W. (2011). Protracted Contest. University of Washington Press. p. 248. ISBN 0295801204.
  7. Pasick, Adam (25 July 2014). "China's cancelled Burma railway is its latest derailment in southeast Asia". Quartz.
  8. "大瑞铁路新增投资逾50亿将连通中缅铁路干线 大公报" (in Chinese). 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  9. "New Fund over 5 Billion Yuan to Boost Dali-Ruili railway Construction". 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  10. Xinhua (29 May 2011). "China railway signs agreement with Myanmar on rail project". People's Daily Online.
  11. Mandalay to China railway feasibility study agreed, 24 Oct 2018
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.