The night was deep, and the lights at Mengsai Station were bright. With the last steel beam firmly falling into its designated position, this small station ushered in a moment of transformation. On October 31, 2026, the sectional hoisting of the steel beam of the Mengsai Station cross track pedestrian overpass of the China Laos Railway Transportation Reinforcement Project was successfully completed, which was the first time in the history of the Laos railway to hoist the large tonnage steel structure cross track skylight.

Laos station welcomes major surgery

Mengsai Station is located in Mengsai County, Oudomxay Province, Laos, and originally had only one platform. The synchronous implementation of platform construction and supporting pedestrian overpasses will fill the gaps in passenger transportation at the station. The main span of the overpass is 23.35 meters, with a total weight of 70.7 tons of steel beams. It is erected in three sections, with the heaviest single section reaching 41.6 tons. This construction is an important component of the Mowan Railway transportation reinforcement project and a key control node of the project.

Precise beam drop in skylight

The lifting conditions this time are strict and belong to overseas high-risk and hazardous projects. The operation is adjacent to the main operating line and high-voltage contact network, and all processes including lifting, rotating, aligning, and fixing can only be completed during the brief period of blocking the skylight window. There is a scarcity of large-scale lifting equipment and insufficient supporting facilities in Laos, and there is no similar construction experience to draw on. In addition, the site is limited, the foundation conditions are weak, and the international safety control standards are high, posing multiple challenges. In the face of complex and limited working conditions overseas, the project team has made precise efforts to launch a 400 ton all ground crane and seize the opportunity to carry out steel beam lifting during the nighttime skylight window period. The team repeatedly deduced the operation process, optimized the special plan, replaced, compacted and reinforced the crane station area, completed the stress calculation of lifting equipment and devices, set the meteorological control red line, and implemented full process monitoring. All positions on site worked closely together to complete the precise positioning of steel beams with high quality within a limited window of time, successfully overcoming the construction difficulties of the existing railway renovation and expansion in Laos. After the addition of new platforms and supporting pedestrian bridges, the single platform operation pattern of Mengsai Station will be completely changed, the passenger transport organization will be optimized, and the travel conditions of the people along the line will be improved. Keywords: China Laos railway, railway reinforcement

This construction demonstrates the technical strength of China's railway construction, provides a technical model for the reconstruction and expansion of existing railways in Laos, deepens China Laos cooperation with engineering practice, helps to jointly build the the Belt and Road, and solidifies the foundation of China Laos community of common destiny.Editor/Min Jing