On the morning of August 6, tunneling began at the Lada Tunnel of the Huangtong–Baise Railway (hereinafter referred to as the Huang-Bai Railway) in Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi, marking the full commencement of all early-start work sites in the Guangxi section of the Huang-Bai Railway.

The Lada Tunnel, with a total length of 569 meters, is one of the key works for connecting the Huang-Bai Railway to the second track being added between Yongle and Baise on the Nanning–Kunming Railway. The tunnel portal has a large height difference from the ground road, and the slope is steep with a narrow construction site, which brings great inconvenience to the use of large construction equipment and material transport. In addition, the tunnel is close to a rural road and overhead optical cables, which also poses risks to construction.

To ensure tunnel construction safety, the project team optimized the construction plan, strengthening tunnel portal protection through measures such as constructing guide walls and pipe roofs, anti-slide piles, and anchor bolt frame beams on the upward slope, so as to minimize disturbance to the slope from excavation and ensure construction safety. A total of 75 construction workers and 16 sets of machinery and equipment will be deployed. Following the construction principles of "advance detection, advanced pipe roof support, weak blasting, short advance, strong support, frequent measurement, and early lining," the team will strengthen advanced geological forecasting and risk identification and control, optimize blasting techniques, and ensure the steady progress of tunnel construction.

It is understood that early-start work sites refer to certain works started ahead of schedule during project construction in order to accelerate project progress. These sites are usually key parts of the project, and their smooth implementation can lay the foundation for advancing the entire project, effectively control the overall construction cycle, and ensure the smooth completion of the project. The Guangxi section of the Huang-Bai Railway has 33 new tunnels and 33 bridges, with a bridge-tunnel ratio of 90.6%, the highest among railways in Guangxi. There are a total of 9 early-start tunnels in the Guangxi section of the Huang-Bai Railway, including Youping, Shangli, Leye, and Lada, all of which have now commenced construction.

According to reports, as of now, the main tunnel bore of the Guangxi section of the Huang-Bai Railway has accumulated more than 1,200 meters of excavation. Next, the construction unit will give full play to the leading and driving role of major railway engineering infrastructure, coordinate with relevant departments on formal land use approval, land acquisition and demolition, and other work, provide all-round support for project construction elements, and strive to achieve the full commencement of subsequent works such as subgrade and bridges as soon as possible, accelerate the construction of the Huang-Bai Railway, and strive for early completion and opening to traffic.

The Huang-Bai Railway is a landmark project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, with a total length of about 315 kilometers and a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It is a national Class I single-track electrified railway, passing through the Baise revolutionary base area and ethnic minority areas inhabited by the Miao, Yao, Bouyei, and other ethnic groups. Once completed, the project will further improve the regional railway network layout and become a convenient corridor from northern Guizhou to the Beibu Gulf region of Guangxi. It is of great significance for accelerating the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and promoting coordinated regional economic and social development.