August 3

The Nanjing-Wuhu Railway Capacity Expansion and Renovation Project undertaken by China Railway 14th Bureau Group

New progress has been made in the shield tunneling section of the Nanjing South Tunnel

The "Ningwu" shield tunneling machine with an excavation diameter of 9.33 meters

The cutterhead has successfully been lowered into the shaft

The achievement of this important milestone

has laid a solid foundation for the smooth launch of the shield machine

The Nanjing South Tunnel is a controlling project of the entire Nanjing-Wuhu Railway Capacity Expansion and Renovation Project. It crosses Qinhuai District, Yuhuatai District, and Jiangning District of Nanjing, passing beneath major trunk railways such as the Nanjing-Anqing High-Speed Railway, the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, and the Shanghai-Chengdu Railway, as well as key traffic arteries such as Ningdan Highway and Niushou Avenue. With a total length of approximately 14.4 kilometers, it is a single-tube single-track tunnel designed for a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, of which the shield tunneling section is about 2.4 kilometers long.

In recent days, Nanjing has experienced persistent high temperatures and sunny, hot weather, with the scorching sun baking the construction site. The builders have remained at their posts, working hard and pressing ahead with the on-site assembly of the shield tunneling machine in a tense and orderly manner. The cutterhead of the shield tunneling machine, weighing 128 tons, was lifted by a crawler crane from the ground to the launch shaft opening, then slowly lowered and precisely positioned in place. Throughout the process, the construction team strictly followed the predetermined plan to ensure the safety and accuracy of every step.

The cutterhead tools are the vanguard blades for efficient shield tunneling. In response to the geological conditions of the tunnel, the "Ningwu" shield tunneling machine is equipped with 238 cutting tools, achieving "full coverage" of the cutterhead excavation trajectory, and has additionally been fitted with disc cutter wear detection to enable real-time monitoring of the tool condition.

The Nanjing-Wuhu Railway Capacity Expansion and Renovation Project starts in the north at Nanjing East Marshalling Station (exclusive) and runs through Qixia District, Qinhuai District, Yuhuatai District, and Jiangning District of Nanjing into Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province, then through Dangtu County into Wuhu City, and finally reaches Wuhu East Station (exclusive). Once completed and put into operation, it will further optimize the layout of the regional railway network and is of great significance for implementing the concept of "ecological priority and green development," accelerating the upgrading and adjustment of the industrial structure in areas along the line, optimizing the spatial layout of urbanization, and enhancing the flexibility of the railway network.