The rock wall at the construction site was blasted open, and the builders continued to tackle the key nodes. The land section of the world's longest underwater high-speed railway tunnel has been fully connected, and the construction difficulties under complex geology have been solved one by one. The focus of the project is about to shift towards underwater shield tunneling operations, and this super channel will reshape the commuting pattern in eastern Zhejiang, injecting strong momentum into the urbanization of Ningbo and Zhoushan.

Overcoming complex surrounding rocks

On September 4, 2026, CR14G completed the opening of the last rock wall at the entrance of the Jintang Subsea Tunnel on the Yongzhou Railway, and the land section of the world's longest underwater high-speed railway tunnel was fully connected. The Jintang Subsea Tunnel is a controlled project of the Yongzhou Railway, starting from Beilun in Ningbo in the west and ending at Jintang in Zhoushan in the east, with a total length of 16.18 kilometers. The single tunnel double track design speed is 250 kilometers per hour, and the total length of the land section is 7.83 kilometers.

The main entrance tunnel on the Beilun side of Ningbo that was connected this time is 3617 meters long, and the line crosses multiple faults and densely jointed zones. The project team uses smooth blasting combined with micro difference blasting technology, strictly controls blasting vibration, and relies on a dual warning system of advanced geological prediction and surrounding rock monitoring to ensure the safe progress of tunnel construction.

Shift of construction focus

The main line of Yongzhou Railway is 76.4 kilometers long, and the overall construction progress has reached 77%. After the land section is connected, the focus of engineering construction will shift to the sea shield construction of Jintang Subsea Tunnel, and subsequent key tasks such as the construction of ballastless track for the underwater shield section connection will be carried out. Keywords: Jintang Subsea Tunnel, Yongzhou Railway

After the completion and opening of the line, the high-speed railway from Ningbo to Zhoushan can be reached in as fast as 26 minutes, and the travel time from Hangzhou to Zhoushan will be reduced to about an hour and a half, effectively promoting the development of Ningbo Zhoushan intercity.Editor/Min Jing