At a critical period of deepening the construction of the Chengdu Chongqing dual city economic circle and accelerating the process of transportation integration, the northeastern Sichuan region has ushered in significant benefits for rail transit. On November 28, 2025, the newly built Nanchong Guang'an Railway, abbreviated as Nanguang Railway, entered the approval and public announcement stage for the environmental impact assessment of the project, marking that this regional strategic channel has entered the final sprint period before construction, and will inject new momentum into the revitalization of the northern wing of the Chengdu Chongqing region.

According to the "Notice on the Approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the New Nanchong Guang'an Railway" issued by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Sichuan Province, the public notice period for the environmental impact assessment approval of the project is from November 28, 2025 to December 5, 2025. According to the conventional process of infrastructure projects, after the environmental impact assessment report is approved, the preliminary design of the project will be approved, and the construction of the entire line will begin immediately. This means that the comprehensive construction of the Nanguang Railway has entered the countdown stage.

Clear route plan, building a new pattern of efficient interconnection

The public document specifies the detailed construction plan of the project. The line starts from Nanchong North Station, passes through Shunqing District and Gaoping District of Nanchong City, Yuechi County, Guang'an District, and Huaying City of Guang'an City, and finally connects to Guang'an East Station of the West Chongqing High speed Railway, one of the main national eight vertical and eight horizontal high-speed railway channels under construction. The total length of the line is 94.807 kilometers, of which 85.289 kilometers are newly built main lines, and some existing and under construction railway resources are cleverly utilized, reflecting the efficient and intensive construction concept.

The project will construct one new station, Gaoping Station, in Nanchong, and utilize and renovate three existing stations, namely Nanchong North Station, Yuechi Station, and Guang'an South Station. The project is constructed according to high-speed railway standards and is a double track electrified passenger dedicated line with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour. After completion, a fast passenger transportation corridor will be built between Nanchong and Guang'an, and through the Guang'an East Station hub, the two places will be directly connected to the national high-speed railway network in one step, making it more convenient to travel north to Xi'an, east to Chongqing, and south to Central China.

Ecological considerations are prioritized, and green development runs through the entire process

As a major linear project, the Nan Guang Railway attaches great importance to ecological environment protection in its planning and design. The project will construct 75 new bridges and 21 tunnels along the entire line, with relatively high bridge and tunnel heights, effectively reducing land occupation and cutting of the surface environment. The project covers a total area of 584.39 hectares, mainly consisting of cultivated land and forest land. The plan specifies strict requirements for land compensation and reclamation.

In terms of engineering earthwork, through fine balance, priority is given to utilizing self excavation, and 19 waste disposal sites are planned and set up for centralized and standardized disposal. It is particularly noteworthy that the project clearly does not set up a separate sand and gravel yard, and the required aggregates will be purchased and comprehensively utilized through engineering waste, which will greatly reduce the damage to the natural mountains along the line. The total investment of the project is about 19.715 billion yuan, of which special environmental protection investment is about 309 million yuan, accounting for 1.57%. It will be used for pollution prevention and control, soil and water conservation, ecological restoration, and noise control during the construction period, ensuring the coordinated promotion of engineering construction and environmental protection.

The regional significance is profound, activating a new engine for the development of the northern wing

The construction of the Nanguang Railway is far more than just connecting two cities. It is a key project to fill the gap in the regional road network and strengthen the connection between Nanchong Guang'an cluster. After the completion of the project, it will directly promote the efficient integration of the Northeast Sichuan urban agglomeration into the Chengdu Chongqing dual city economic circle, and strengthen interaction with the two major national central cities of Chongqing and Xi'an. It has irreplaceable strategic significance for optimizing regional industrial layout, promoting tourism resource development, accelerating urbanization along the route, and enhancing overall location value. Keywords: traffic news, engineering information platform

With the release of the environmental impact assessment announcement, this economic and people's livelihood line, which carries the development expectations of the Northeast Sichuan region, is rapidly moving from a blueprint to reality, and is about to lay a solid foundation for regional coordinated development.Editor/Cheng Liting