Dali–Ruili railway

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Gaoligong Mountain Rail Tunnel under construction near Mangshi

The Dali–Ruili railway or Darui railway (大瑞铁路), is a single-track electrified railroad under construction in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. The line is slated to run 336.39 km (209 mi) from Dali to Ruili on the border with Myanmar.[1][2] The line traverses rugged terrain, and bridges and tunnels will account for 75% of the total track length, including the 34.5 km Gaoligongshan Tunnel through the Gaoligong Mountains.[1]

Construction began in May 2011 and was scheduled to take six years.[1][2] However, this has been repeatedly delayed, and as of 2019 the railway is scheduled to open only in 2022.[3][4] Cities and towns along route include Dali, Yangbi Yi Autonomous County, Yongping County, Baoshan, Mangshi and Ruili.

The line will have a design speed of 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph).[5]

History[]

As early as 1938, the British planned to build the Yunnan–Burma railway to connect British rule in Burma with Yunnan Province, but were unable to complete the project.[6]

Originally, the Chinese government proposed a rail connection between Kunming, China and Kyaukpyu, Myanmar. The railway was planned to follow the route of the existing Sino-Myanmar pipelines. After protests in Myanmar, the part of the railway in Myanmar was cancelled.[7] Only the Chinese part of the line between Dali and Ruili will now be constructed.

Construction on the Darui Line began in 2008.[8] In August 2012, the project received an additional investment of ¥5 billion, owing to the difficulty of tunneling through the rugged terrain, particularly the tunnel across the Dazhushan Mountain.[8] The huge rivers and geology have given the corridor the moniker World's Most Difficult Railway.

Trans-Asian Railway[]

The Dali–Ruili railway may some day form the western route of China's rail link with Southeast Asia, part of the Trans-Asian Railway. The authorities of the two countries considered the possibility of connecting it with the railways of Myanmar.[9][10] In 2018, another agreement was signed between the two countries' railway agencies for a feasibility study for a 431 km long railway connection from Mandalay to Muse (the Burmese town opposite Ruili).[11]

Rail connections[]

See also[]

  • List of railways in China

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "抓住西部大开发机遇 重大工程顺利推进". 大理日报 (in Chinese). 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26.
  2. ^ a b "大瑞铁路保瑞段奠基(图)". Xinhua (in Chinese). 31 May 2011.
  3. ^ "Dali-Ruili Railway expected to open to traffic by 2021". 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  4. ^ 卫岗：到2022年瑞丽将成为中国最大的内陆口岸 (31 January 2019). Yunnan Online.
  5. ^ "大瑞铁路保山段已全面进入铺架阶段-保山市人民政府门户网站". www.baoshan.gov.cn. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  6. ^ Garver, John W. (2011). Protracted Contest. University of Washington Press. p. 248. ISBN 0295801204.
  7. ^ Pasick, Adam (25 July 2014). "China's cancelled Burma railway is its latest derailment in southeast Asia". Quartz.
  8. ^ a b "大瑞铁路新增投资逾50亿将连通中缅铁路干线 大公报" (in Chinese). 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  9. ^ "New Fund over 5 Billion Yuan to Boost Dali-Ruili railway Construction". 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012.
  10. ^ Xinhua (29 May 2011). "China railway signs agreement with Myanmar on rail project". People's Daily Online.
  11. ^ Mandalay to China railway feasibility study agreed, 24 Oct 2018
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