China Starts Construction of Its Northernmost High-Speed Railway

Construction of the Harbin-Yichun high-speed railway in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the furthest north of its kind in China, began on May 13.

Located in central Heilongjiang and with a designed speed of 250 kilometers per hour, the 300-kilometer southwest-to-northeast railway will include 45 grand bridges and nine stations.

The first section to be built, linking Tieli and Yichun, is located in the southern foothills of the Lesser Hinggan Mountains, stretching through a mountainous region with several scenic spots. It is China's first high-speed railway to run through these permafrost regions.

The section will wind through a primitive forest, a second-class water source protection area and the Sun-Moon Canyon National Forest Park, which calls for high-level environmentally-protective engineering.

Contracted by China Railway 22nd Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, the Harbin-Yichun high-speed railway is a key part of Heilongjiang's high-speed railway network.

Upon completion, Suihua, Qing'an, Tieli and Yichun will all be included in the Harbin one-hour and two-hour economic circles, which will effectively boost industrial agglomeration, communication and foreign trade in these areas.

The railway will also accelerate the revitalization of the old industrial base in Northeast China and drive trade between North China and Russia.

Construction of the Harbin-Yichun high-speed railway in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the furthest north of its kind in China, begins on May 13. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)