On August 23, major progress was made in the construction of the Xiling Tunnel on the Xi'an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway (Shaanxi section), which is being built by China Railway Seventh Group under the commissioning of the Xi'an–Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line Shaanxi Company. As a key controlling project and a Class I high-risk tunnel on the line, the cumulative excavation length of the left-line large-chainage section of Xiling Tunnel's No. 1 inclined shaft has exceeded the 2,000-meter mark. This marks a major breakthrough in a key and difficult project along the entire line and lays a solid foundation for the completion and opening of the Xi'an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway.

The Xiling Tunnel is located in Shangzhou District, Shangluo City. With a total length of 18,083 meters and a double-tube, single-track design, it is the second longest tunnel on the Xi'an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway (Shaanxi section). Its geological conditions are extremely complex: the surrounding rock of the tunnel body includes various types such as schist, quartzite, and marble, and there are also adverse geological conditions such as faults, water inflow, and low gas, making construction extremely difficult. Since the start of the project, the project team has consistently prioritized safety and quality. Relying on advanced information-based and mechanized methods, the team has continuously innovated construction methods and reasonably optimized construction procedures, exercised refined control over each construction stage, and implemented all-round management in quality, safety, and environmental protection to ensure smooth construction.

After the Xi'an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway is completed and opened to traffic, Xi'an to Shiyan will be reachable within 1 hour, and the train travel time from Wuhan to Xi'an is expected to be shortened to 2.5 hours. This is of great significance for strengthening the connection between the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration, driving economic and social development along the line, and improving the layout of the national high-speed railway network.