Recently, the "Jingcheng No. 12" shield machine for Shield Line III of the civil engineering Section 7 project of the Fangcun–Baiyun Airport Intercity Railway, constructed by China Construction Fourth Engineering Division, was successfully launched. Following the single-line shield launch on November 25, the project has achieved another success and officially entered the dual-line shield construction stage.

The Guangzhou Fangcun–Baiyun Airport Intercity Railway has a total length of 41.1 km, entirely underground, with 10 stations. It adopts 8-car formation municipal Type D trains with a design speed of 160 km/h. It is the first rail transit line in Guangzhou in which China State Construction Engineering Corporation has participated in construction along the entire line. The section constructed by China Construction Fourth Engineering Division is Civil Engineering Section 7, located at the tail end of the line and comprising 2 open-cut sections and 3 shield sections.

As a key livelihood project in Guangdong Province, the Fangcun–Baiyun Airport Intercity Railway, once fully completed, will together with the northern extension of Metro Line 18 form a north-south transportation corridor in the Guangzhou metropolitan area. It will connect to the railway network at the upper end, forming high-speed and rapid dual channels within the Greater Bay Area, and link to the municipal network at the lower end, connecting with urban rail transit networks along the route. It will enable intercity rail transit to operate with bus-like frequency, while connecting Guangzhou Railway Station and Baiyun International Airport to achieve interconnectivity between hubs. It will enable 30-minute access between downtown Guangzhou and Baiyun Airport and 45-minute access between Nansha and Baiyun Airport, greatly reducing travel time and supporting the Greater Bay Area in building a modern comprehensive transportation system.

The "Jingcheng No. 12" shield machine has attracted much attention for its outstanding performance, including a total weight of 1,280 tonnes, a total length of 130 meters, a maximum thrust of 81,853 kN, and a drive power of 2,800 kW. Its excavation diameter reaches Φ8,840 mm, its minimum turning radius is R300 m, and its maximum adaptable gradient is ±50‰, providing greater construction flexibility for long-distance tunnel boring.

▲ Factory acceptance of the "Jingcheng No. 12" shield machine passed

The "Jingcheng No. 12" shield machine adopts a composite cutterhead and uses slurry balance mode for boring according to the hydrogeological conditions of the shield section. It is also equipped with advanced equipment such as an advanced geological prediction system, a segment selection and intelligent auxiliary boring system, a screw conveyor, and an integrated focus machine, providing strong support for completing the long-distance tunnel boring task of approximately 2,623 meters.