In 2022, when the survey team first carried their equipment into the hilly areas of southern Henan, the local residents were not quite sure what this railway meant. Over the past four years, they have gone through various hurdles, including pre-feasibility study, industry review, geological review, and special assessment. Several times during this process, there were rumors of a "temporary suspension", which made the people waiting along the line nervous.

In 2026, the靴子 finally landed. The proposal for the Nanyang-Xinyang-Hefei high-speed rail project was officially approved, with construction commencing within the year and a total investment of 68.1 billion yuan. Spanning a total length of 515 kilometers, with 390 kilometers of newly constructed sections, this steel corridor, which traverses the Dabie Mountains and connects southern Henan with the Yangtze River Delta, will completely rewrite the transportation landscape at the junction of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces.

82.1% bridge-tunnel ratio, without touching the ground throughout the journey

The investment amount of 68.1 billion yuan is indeed impressive, but those who truly understand the industry know what kind of geological "tough nut" this money is meant to tackle.

Of the 390 kilometers of the entire line that have been completely newly constructed, the Henan section alone spans 379 kilometers, with a bridge-tunnel ratio as high as 82.1%. To put it simply, over 80% of the project involves either building bridges or drilling through mountains. The 72 bridges and 4 tunnels that run through the entire route, as well as the hilly terrain of Tongbai Mountain and the soft soil and expansive soil geology commonly found in southern Henan, all pose substantial construction challenges.

Those who have experience in roadbed construction are aware that this type of soil is most vulnerable to water and prone to subsidence. Subsequent construction teams will spend a significant amount of time on foundation reinforcement, pile foundation seepage prevention, and slope protection alone. Coupled with the interference during the flood season in the south, the golden time for full-scale construction is very limited. However, the difficulty is evident, which also means that this is a tough project without any water content.

"A small section" in Anhui holds the key to the entire line

The cross-provincial construction pattern of this line is quite intriguing. The newly constructed section in Anhui spans merely 11 kilometers, seemingly a minimal amount of work. However, it serves as a crucial choke point for the entire line - it must precisely connect with the Jinzhai East Station of the high-speed railway along the Yangtze River, undertaking the hub conversion function for the entire line. Any mistake in connection will affect the operational efficiency of the entire line.

Looking at the Henan section, the workload is at its peak, and the tedious coordination work is also at its fullest. Passing through multiple stations such as Nanyang, Tanghe, Xinyang, and Huangchuan, there are many places that require parallel station reconstruction with the existing Ningxi Railway. Land acquisition and surveying, pipeline relocation, and village and town coordination - these seemingly insignificant and fragmented tasks are the most demanding and time-consuming.

The previously rumored project delay was actually just a normal fluctuation in the bidding process, and the overall pace of the project has remained stable. Currently, the project has entered its final sprint before commencement, with environmental impact assessments and preliminary designs being submitted for approval simultaneously, and various special assessments nearing completion. Formal commencement is scheduled for the end of December 2026, with control projects such as tunnels and super major bridges taking the lead in mobilization.

Southern Henan and Western Anhui bid farewell to the "era of detours"

The greatest value of this high-speed railway lies in filling the gap in the railway network that has existed for many years. Those familiar with this region know that southern Henan and western Anhui were previously high-speed railway blind spots. For residents of places like Nanyang, Tanghe, and Biyang who want to travel to the Yangtze River Delta, they either have to take a detour to Zhengzhou, adding two hours to their journey, or they have to endure a long and tiring journey on a slow train.

After the opening, the travel time has been drastically reduced: the journey from Nanyang to Shanghai has been shortened from 6.5 hours to 4.5 hours, and from Xinyang to Shanghai, it is now a direct journey of 3.7 hours. The journey from Nanyang to Hefei has even been reduced to just over an hour. No detours or transfers are needed, bidding farewell to inefficient travel once and for all.

For infrastructure workers, this is not just a convenient high-speed railway for the public, but also a tangible industry dividend. With a volume of 68.1 billion yuan, it covers the entire industry chain of civil engineering, bridges, tunnels, four electrics, and station and yard supporting facilities. From surveying, construction to operation and maintenance, the upstream and downstream infrastructure sectors in Henan and Anhui provinces will have stable work and steady growth in the coming years.

Having seen too many projects with plans stalled and schedules delayed, it is indeed rare for the Nanning-Xinyang-Hefei high-speed railway to complete all approvals step by step and start construction steadily. This steel corridor that traverses the Dabie Mountains not only revitalizes the transportation and economy of the entire region, but also presents visible and tangible new industry opportunities for everyone who is deeply involved in infrastructure construction. Editor/Gao Xue