Why has the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway been under construction for more than ten years and not yet opened to traffic? There are four main reasons behind it

Traveling through the vast land of China, the railway is like a vibrant dragon, connecting the north and south of the Yangtze River. In the southwest of our country, a brand new "Heavenly Road" is being gradually drawn, which is the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway connecting Sichuan and Gansu

Traveling through the vast land of China, the railway is like a vibrant dragon, connecting the north and south of the Yangtze River. In the southwest of our country, a brand new "Heavenly Road" is being gradually drawn, which is the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway connecting Sichuan and Gansu.

The Chengdu Lanzhou Railway starts from Chengdu, Sichuan and extends northwest to connect with the Lanzhou Chongqing Railway. The main line has a total length of 457 kilometers. For many years, tens of thousands of builders, like ants, have dug tunnels and erected bridges in the valleys of the plateau, only to achieve the opening and operation of this railway.

However, building this winding 'Heavenly Road' is not an easy task, as a series of natural and artificial conditions constrain the process of railway construction, testing the wisdom and perseverance of builders.

The Chengdu Lanzhou Railway starts from Chengdu, Sichuan and extends northwest to connect with the Lanzhou Chongqing Railway. The main line has a total length of 457 kilometers. The route is located in the intersection zone between the basin and the weathered residual basin in eastern Tibet, with strong geological tectonic activity.

The route spans three major plates: the Longmen Mountain Front Mountain Fold Fault Zone, the Songpan Ganzi Chaerhan Fold Zone, and the West Qinling Fold Zone, with complex and diverse terrain. According to the survey, about 70% of the lithology of the route is composed of weak slate and siltstone. At the same time, earthquakes occur frequently in the region, and there are many factors to consider.

The Chengdu Lanzhou Railway is designed to cross mountainous areas, with a bridge tunnel ratio of up to 78%. More than 200 tunnels were built, with a maximum length of 28. 4 kilometers. The average burial depth of the tunnel group exceeds 500 meters, with a maximum of 1720 meters, which is larger and more complex than other railway burial depths in plateau and mountainous areas. The construction of such a long and deep tunnel group is extremely difficult, and the requirements for rock control and treatment are higher.

There are 24 national protected animal habitats such as giant pandas and golden monkeys in the area where the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway passes through. To minimize the impact on the ecological environment, many road sections require detours. For example, for the section from Tudiling to Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, the original route mileage is 83 km, which is later adjusted to 216 km, significantly increasing the construction length.

Due to the sensitivity of the route, the environmental protection department is cautious in approving the project. The Chengdu Lanzhou Railway was established in 2009 and started construction in 2011, taking two years to pass the environmental impact assessment. Environmental protection requires project optimization of routes to reduce ecological damage. Two years after the start of construction, the Ministry of Environmental Protection once again requested the improvement of the plan, and after two more years of work stoppage, full construction began.

After more than 10 years of unremitting efforts, the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway has entered the final sprint stage. Countless hardworking builders have nurtured this railway with their sweat and opened up this' heavenly path 'with wisdom. Once opened, the Chengdu Lanzhou Railway will improve the transportation conditions in the southwest and take the country's western development to a new level.

At that time, when we board the train on this railway, please do not forget the hardworking builders who overcame numerous obstacles to build this skyroad.

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