SOEs ramp up efforts in building high-speed railways

China's infrastructure construction continues to see steady progress, with the high-speed railway sector recently reporting new milestones thanks to increasingly intensified efforts from State-owned construction companies.

Mingguang West Railway Station on the Hefei-Xinyi High-speed Railway entered into its construction phase as the first pile foundation for the station was successfully drilled earlier last week, according to the State contractor responsible for the project.

China Railway 24th Bureau Group Corp (CR24), a unit of State-owned China Railway Construction Corp, said the project is located in Mingguang, a county-level city in Chuzhou, Anhui province, and will be the gateway station in northern Anhui.

Covering an area of 12,000 square meters, the station is designed to accommodate four platforms and 10 railways, supported by a two-story main structure constructed of reinforced concrete and a rooftop made of steel grid structures.

Multiple professions and specialties are involved in the construction of the station, including civil engineering, steel structure, installation engineering, water supply and drainage, and decor, CR24 said, showcasing the "close cooperation and coordination among parties involved, such as government units, construction teams and building technology institutes".

To ensure the smooth drilling of the first pile foundation, the project team fully utilized 3D modeling tools to optimize the station's design and shape. Scientific and effective measures were taken to ensure a successful start to the construction process, the company said.

The Hefei-Xinyi High-speed Railway is a 324-kilometer line that runs from Hefei, capital of Anhui, and passes through the counties of Dingyuan, Fengyang, Mingguang, Wuhe and Sixian before entering Jiangsu province and terminating in Xinyi, Jiangsu.

Connecting six stations, the Anhui section of the line covers 198 kilometers and is designed to have a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, CR24 said.

The completion and opening of the high-speed railway will further improve the national high-speed railway network, and strengthen the integrated regional economic integration in Anhui and Jiangsu. It will also be crucial in promoting the development of the Huaihe River Ecological Economic Zone and facilitating the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, it added.

In western regions, the Xi'an-Chongqing High-speed Railway, which kicked off comprehensive construction in November, also reported major progress in critical projects on the rail.

Li Xiangfeng, a project manager with China Railway 15th Bureau Group Corp, also a CRCC unit, said its construction workers are making steady steps in digging the 12.15-kilometer Huayingshan Tunnel — a high-level risk-controlling tunnel with complex and unique geological features.

"Huayingshan Tunnel is of the highest toughness in terms of tunneling work among the four tunnels we've undertaken on the railway. Completion of the tunneling will offer valuable experience for the following construction work," Li said.

With a total length of 739 km and a design speed of 350 km/h, the Xi'an-Chongqing High-speed Railway is a key infrastructure project listed on the railway network expansion plan under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), and is expected to play a supportive role in the western regions in rural revitalization and coordinated regional development.

The People's Bank of China, the central bank, said on Friday it will spare no efforts in stabilizing economic growth, employment and price levels, with a focus on supporting the expansion of domestic demand and efforts to be made to support government investment in infrastructure, the central bank said in a statement.

The central bank will also ramp up support for key areas and weak links in the economy, including infrastructure construction, and comprehensive measures will be taken to promote coordinated regional development.

The significant role played by infrastructure in supporting economic growth and mitigating the contraction in consumption has been repeatedly highlighted by many meetings this year, including the two sessions, reflecting the continuous efforts in this field this year, said Wang Qing, an analyst with Golden Credit Rating.

"The policy package unveiled last year will gradually take effect this year and better serve the progress of the country's infrastructure construction, which will help ensure the economy stays on a steady growth track, Wang said.