On May 8, the "Yongxing" shield machine for the Zhanjiang Bay undersea tunnel of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway was successfully rolled off the production line, and the railway's "sea-crossing journey" is about to begin.

The Zhanjiang Bay undersea tunnel has a total length of 9,640 meters. It is currently China's longest single-head bored large-diameter undersea high-speed railway shield tunnel and is also a key controlling project of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway.

Adopting a tunnel to cross the bay can effectively preserve the existing urban skyline of Zhanjiang Bay and minimize the impact on the cityscape. It not only avoids the project's impact on the marine ecological environment but also does not affect navigation.

On the other hand, since Zhanjiang is a high-incidence area for severe typhoons, crossing the sea by tunnel will make the high-speed railway safer and more reliable.

The "Yongxing" shield machine began manufacturing in September 2020. The shield machine has a total length of 147 meters and a total weight of 3,600 tons. It adopts a telescopic main drive and has powerful driving and tunneling capabilities.

The Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway line starts from Guangzhou Station and adds nine new stations: Foshan Station, Pearl River Delta Hub Airport Station, Xinxing South Station, Yangchun East Station, Yangjiang North Station, Mata Station, Maoming South Station, Wuchuan Station, and Zhanjiang North Station. The designed speed is 350 kilometers per hour.

After the high-speed train exits the Zhanjiang Bay undersea tunnel, it arrives at the line's terminal station—Zhanjiang North Station. Zhanjiang North Station is a newly built station located in the central urban area of Zhanjiang. Once opened, it will realize "high-speed rail into the city" and make travel more convenient for passengers.