On September 25, the exit portal of the Zhonglingshan Tunnel on the newly built Wenshan–Mengzi Railway, constructed by China Railway No. 8 Engineering Group, officially commenced excavation, marking important progress in the construction of the main line of the entire Wenshan–Mengzi Railway.

The Zhonglingshan Tunnel is a controlling project of the entire Wenshan–Mengzi Railway. Located in Xin'ansuo Town, Mengzi City, it has a total length of 3,956.22 meters and a maximum burial depth of approximately 313 meters, and is a single-tube double-track tunnel. The geographical environment of the tunnel area is complex and variable; the route lies in a tectonically karstified and eroded middle-mountain region. The tunnel passes through fault zones and water-rich, intensely dolomite-sanded sections, with fractured rock masses, developed groundwater, and poor surrounding rock stability, resulting in a high risk of collapse and mud and water inrush. It is a Class I high-risk tunnel, with steep terrain at the portal, great construction difficulty, and high safety risks.

To ensure the Zhonglingshan Tunnel is completed on schedule, the project team planned ahead and made meticulous arrangements, optimized the construction plan, strengthened material support, improved emergency response plans, and overcame numerous unfavorable factors such as a tight schedule, difficult construction organization, and variable climate. They also coordinated the construction of temporary works in advance, laying a solid foundation for the rapid progress of tunnel construction.

With a total length of about 116 kilometers and a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour, it is a Class I national double-track electrified railway for both passenger and freight traffic. The line starts from Wenshan Station in Wenshan City, Wenshan Prefecture, runs westward through Mengzi City, Honghe Prefecture, connects to Mengzi Station, and then follows the Yuhe Railway with an added second track to Honghe Station on the Mile–Mengzi high-speed railway. Once completed, it will further improve the road network structure of southeastern Yunnan, build a convenient transport corridor between the central Yunnan and southeastern Yunnan urban agglomerations, greatly facilitate travel for people of all ethnic groups along the line, boost the development of tourism and other industries, and be of great significance for accelerating the construction of border railway corridors, promoting high-quality economic and social development in border and ethnic minority areas, and supporting Yunnan's high-level opening-up.