China: Track Laying Underway on Xi’an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway

Full-scale track laying has officially commenced on the Xi’an–Shiyan High-Speed Railway following the installation of the first rails earlier this month.

On 8 September, at the Xi’andong–Lantian section of the route, construction teams positioned the first pair of 500-metre rails on ballastless track slabs.

The activity, overseen by the Shaanxi branch of the Xi’an–Chengdu High-Speed Railway and carried out by China Railway No.4 Engineering Group, marks the transition into the full-scale track laying phase of the project.

The high-speed rail line runs from Xi’an in Shaanxi Province to Shiyan in Hubei Province, crossing the Qinling Mountains on its southeast alignment. The main route measures 255.76 kilometres in length and has been designed for a maximum operating speed of 350 kilometres per hour.

The project forms part of wider efforts to enhance high-speed rail connectivity between Shaanxi and Hubei, providing a direct corridor through mountainous terrain that links central and north-western China.