On August 17, 2026, significant progress was made in the construction of the Gaoligongshan Tunnel on the Dali Ruili Railway in Yunnan, an important component of the China Myanmar International Railway Corridor. The tunnel entrance was successfully connected to the parallel guide tunnel of the No.1 vertical shaft, and the overall progress of the tunnel exceeded 70%. The Gaoligongshan Tunnel has a total length of 34.5 kilometers and is the first extra long railway tunnel in China to cross the Hengduan Mountains. The construction area covers 17 different strata and 19 fault zones. The No.1 vertical shaft is 765 meters deep, making it the deepest railway vertical shaft in China.

This breakthrough has achieved three-dimensional construction, adding 4 new working faces for the main tunnel. The total length of the Dali Ruili Railway is 330 kilometers. After completion, the travel time from Dali to Ruili will be shortened from 6 hours to about 3 hours, and Dehong Prefecture will end its history of no railway connection.Editor/Min Jing