China renovates Baoji-Chengdu railway to serve quake zone reconstruction

Source: Xinhua | 05-11-2009 10:32

XI'AN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China has begun renovating a railway that links Sichuan Province's capital Chengdu and neighboring Xi'an Province's Baoji City to better serve reconstruction in earthquake-hit areas.

A large number of constructors converge on the renewal of  railroad switch for expedition at the Hengxianhe Station,  during an intensive renovation of the Baoji-Chengdu Railway,  at Lueyang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 9, 2009.  The Xi'an Railway Administration mobilizes some 5,000 workers  and 150 mechanical vehicles in 9 construction teams to kick  off a 50-day intensive renovation to the Baoji-Chengdu Railway,  in a move to keep the overall quality of the railroad up-to-date  and ensure the transport safety after the overall expedition  of the transport speed on the Baoji-Chengdu Railway.  (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang)

Xi'an Railway Bureau dispatched more than 5,000 workers and 150 large scale vehicles to renovate the Baoji-Chengdu railway starting May 9. The repair work, covering rail grinding and railroad switch replacing, is scheduled to last 50 days.

The Baoji-Chengdu route is a key north-south railway line in west China. It had been used as a major route for transporting relief goods to Sichuan after the May 12 earthquake last year.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake damaged the southern section of the railway and caused collapse of No. 109 tunnel in Gansu Province on May 12. The collapse resulted in a blaze on a train carrying gasoline.

The tunnel was reopened to traffic 12 days later and a new tunnel was built to the north side of the old one five months later with steel-reinforced concrete. The new tunnel opened to traffic on Nov. 12.