China has always shown its high ambitions in terms of its high-speed rail infrastructure. A new project has been passed by Beijing to build the first underwater bullet train route in China. The new line has been proposed to connect Ningbo, which is a port city south of Shanghai to Zhousan, off the east coast.
The upcoming underwater tunnel will be a part of the Yong-Zhou Railway plan which has a stretch of 77 kilometers and will help to boost tourism and create two-hour-commute Zone within Zhejiang Province. Yong is the nickname of Ningbo. The project was first mentioned in the government transportation plan in 2005 and the feasibility study of the Yong-Zhou Railway plan was approved by Beijing in November.
Out of the 77 kilometers railway route, about 80 kilometers of the tracks will be newly built and will include the 16.2 kilometer undersea section. After completion, the Yong-Zhou Railway will connect Ningbo East Station and Zhoushan Station with high-speed trains which will hit the maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The new route that connects the already existing huge high-speed rail network in China will take the travelers from Hangzhou the capital city of Zhejiang to Zhoushan in 80 minutes.
At present the journey takes about 4.5 hours by bus or 2.5 hours drive by personal vehicle. The route is expected to have seven stations including four new stations and three redeveloped ones. Apart from the undersea tunnel, a road-rail bridge will be built that will link parts of the archipelago. The project has been estimated at a whopping 25.2 billion Yuan and is expected to begin in 2019. The high speed rail infrastructure is expected to be ready by 2025. The new underwater bullet train will prove to be a huge boost for the tourism in China and will reduce the commuting time for the travelers.
Photo Credits: The financial express
