On October 30, the shield machine "Yujiang" for the Yangtze River Tunnel on Chongqing Rail Transit Line 27, known as the "first rail tunnel across the upper Yangtze River," was officially launched. This marks that construction of the most upstream rail tunnel crossing the Yangtze River, which is also Chongqing Rail Transit's first river-crossing tunnel, has pressed the "fast-forward" button and is about to accelerate construction.

Chongqing Rail Transit Line 27 has a total length of 56 kilometers and 15 stations, including 13 interchange stations. The project began construction in November 2021 and is scheduled to be completed and opened to traffic by the end of 2026. The Line 27 project runs from Bishan Station to Huimin Station, efficiently connecting Bishan District, the High-tech Zone, Shapingba District, Jiulongpo District, Yuzhong District, Nan'an District, and Banan District. While providing rapid access to important functional nodes such as comprehensive transportation hubs, industrial parks, and large commercial districts, it will also further improve Chongqing's multi-level rail transit system featuring internal and external connectivity and a combination of regular and express services, helping to build an "economic circle on rails."

The Yangtze River Tunnel is located on the section between Chongqing Station and Nanbin Road Station of Rail Transit Line 27 and is a controlling node project for the entire line. The Yangtze River Tunnel is about 800 meters long and consists of two tunnels, left and right, each with a diameter of 8.5 meters, constructed using a "dual-mode shield machine." This launch is for the shield on the left line of the section; the shield on the right line of the section is expected to be launched by the end of 2023, and construction of the entire shield-bored river-crossing section is expected to be completed by September 2024. The Yangtze River Tunnel is located beneath the riverbed, and construction will not affect the Yangtze River navigation channel. The construction of this river-crossing tunnel will fill a gap in this area within Chongqing's rail transit sector and provide valuable experience for subsequent construction of similar projects.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Chongqing Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, within this year, three lines (sections) totaling 36 kilometers will also be completed and opened to traffic: Chongqing Rail Transit Line 18, the middle section of Phase I of Line 5, and the remaining section of Phase II of Line 10. This will complete and open to traffic all of Chongqing's first three phases of rail lines. By then, Chongqing will have three new river-crossing channels, and the city's total rail transit operating mileage will reach 537 kilometers.