On September 10, 2021, the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the "Ministry of Ecology and Environment Announcement on the Acceptance of Environmental Impact Assessment Documents for Construction Projects from September 6, 2021 to September 10, 2021", "New Railway Xining-Chengdu Line" The Environmental Impact Report of the Xining-Huangsheng Pass was officially included in the scope of review. The publicity period is from September 10 to September 24, 2021.

Upon expiration of the publicity period, the approval process will begin. According to the time limit for the environmental assessment review of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the environmental assessment report of the Xining-Huangshengguan section of the Xining-Chengdu railway is expected to be approved in October. The environmental assessment approval is one of the most important prerequisites for the preliminary design approval of the project. The preliminary design of the project is about to enter the approval stage. The Xining-Huangshengguan section of the Xining-Chengdu railway is scheduled to start construction in December 2021.

According to the project environmental assessment report, the detailed route of the Xining-Huangshengguan section of the Xining-Chengdu railway, the scale of each station, and the layout plan have been released. The total investment of the project is 81.49 billion yuan and the planned construction period is 7.5 years.

Xicheng Railway

The new Xining-Chengdu railway is located at the junction of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan provinces. The route starts from Xining City, the capital of Qinghai Province in the north, passes through Pingan District of Haidong City, Jianzha County, and Tongren County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the south; then enters Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province in the southeast, passing Xiahe County, Hezuo City, and Luqu in turn County; to the south via Zoige County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, to connect to the Huangshengguan Station of the Jiancheng-Lanzhou Railway; and the Chengdu-Lanzhou Railway into the Chengdu hub on the same line.

This project connects to the vast western regions such as Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet via the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-speed Railway and Lanqing Line to the north; connects to the Chengdu hub via the Chenglan Railway to the south, and can pass through Chengdu-Kunming, Chenggui, Chengyu and Guizhou. The Guangzhou-Guangzhou express railway leads to the Southwest, South China and Beibu Gulf regions. It is a convenient passage from Xining (Lanzhou) to Chengdu. It is the main passenger passage between the northwest and the southwest. It is a passenger-oriented route that takes into account the light and fast cargo exchanges along the line. The inter-regional express railway line also has the nature of developing national land resources.

It is reported that the project is a high-speed railway with a speed of 200km/h. The section from Langmusi to Hongyuan is reserved for a speed-up to 250km/h. It is dual-track and electric locomotive traction. The length of the newly-built Haidong-Huangshengguan main line is 499.1km, of which the newly-built length in Qinghai Province is 143.046km, the newly-built length in Gansu Province is 183.408km, and the newly-built length in Sichuan Province is 172.615km.

The total number of newly built bridges on the main line is 128.722km/156 (including single, double and multi-track bridges, excluding the running lanes of high-speed trains), and the total length of the tunnel is 276.64km/66. There are 19 stations on the whole line (including the existing Haidongxi Station and Huangshengguan Station under construction). Simultaneously construct Shatangchuan EMU and related projects.

The Haidongnanshan Tunnel on the whole line is designed as a double-hole single-line tunnel (total length of 21595m), and the rest are designed as single-hole double-line tunnels. The longest tunnel on the entire line is the Ganqing Tunnel at Kashize Mountain, which is 22380m. The project occupies a total area of 2692.39hm2, of which the permanent land occupation is 1300.21hm2 and the temporary land occupation is 1392.18hm2. The land occupation type is mainly woodland and grassland.

The design speed target value of this project is 200km/h, and the speed of Langmusi to Hongyuan section is reserved for speed increase to 250km/h. The general section of the main line is paved with ballast tracks, and the length of tunnels and tunnel group sections ≥1km are concentratedly paved with CRTS double-block ballastless tracks, and the cross-section seamless track is laid at one time. The extension of Shatangchuan EMU has a length of 2.087km, adopting ballasted tracks, and laying inter-interval seamless tracks at one time. This line adopts direct power supply with return line.

The whole project will be constructed at the same time, and the plan will be opened in phases. From Huangshengguan to the cooperative control project, the fork tunnel has a complete construction period of 49.9 months, and the total construction period is 72 months (six-year construction period). The total construction period is 90 months (seven and a half years) for later opening.

The total investment of the project is 81.49 billion yuan, of which the project investment is 78.07 billion yuan and the purchase cost of locomotives and rolling stock is 3.42 billion yuan. The construction units are Chenglan Railway Co., Ltd. and Lanxin Railway Ganqing Co., Ltd.

Line direction

The Xining-Chengdu railway line leads from the throat of the Lanzhou end of the existing Haidong Station of the Lanxin High-speed Railway. After exiting the station, it walks through the Shenjiagou Valley through the Laji Mountain through the tunnel to Hualong Station in Angsido Town, Hualong County, uphill. Across the Yellow River, Jianzha Station will be set up in Angla Township, along the Longwu River, and Tongren Station will be set up in Baoan New Town of Tongren City. After exiting the station, the tunnel will cross the West Qinling Zhongshan District and enter the territory of Gansu Province;

After the Ganga Station is set up on the Ganjia Grassland, the Xiahe Station will be set to the east of Xiahe County, and the short tunnel group will be used to cross the station. Route, go to Hezuo Southwest Institute for Nationalities, set up a cooperative station on the hillside, go to Shuangcha Township, set up a Luqu station; pass through the experimental area of Gahaizecha Nature Reserve in the form of a bridge and tunnel. After the station is set up in Langmusi Town, the route Entering the territory of Sichuan Province;

To Huahu Scenic Area and other tourism projects, Huahu Station will be set on the north side of the national highway, passing through the Zoige Basin, and a station on the east side of Zoige County. Hongyuan Station is located at the interchange. After crossing the Requ River, it enters the territory of Songpan County; the back bridge and tunnel are connected to pass through the Minshan mountain area, and finally lead to the Huangshengguan Station on the completed Lanzhou Railway.

Station plan

The whole line has Haidongxi, Dongping, Hualong, Jianzha, Tongren, Ganga, Xiahe, Tanggaang, Hezuo, Bora, Luqu, Zecha, Langmusi, Huahu, Asi, Ruoergai, Banyou, Hong 19 stations including Yuan and Huangshengguan. Among them, Haidongxi is an existing station, Huangshengguan is a station under construction, Dongping, Tangga'ang, Bora, and Zecha are overpass stations, and the rest are intermediate stations. The opening of Bora Station is suspended (the offline project will be implemented once).

The maximum distance between stations is 49.18km, the minimum distance between stations is 16.595km, and the average distance between stations is 27.66km. Expand the Xining EMU, add EMU facilities in Shatangchuan, and incorporate it into related projects on this line.

Huangshengguan Station: It is the intermediate station on the Jiancheng-Lanzhou line and the junction station of this line. The station is a curve station with a curve radius of 2800m. There are 5 arrival and departure lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 880m. A basic platform of 230m×6m×1.25m and one side intermediate platform are set up.

Hongyuan Station: Located in Sedi Township, Hongyuan County, Aba Prefecture, the station scale is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Set up one 550m×9m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform, one integrated maintenance work area on the right side of the station, and four branch lines. The Chengdu end is a long ramp of 12‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the three connection lines.

Banyou Station: Located in the experimental area of Kahar Qiao County Nature Reserve, 2.6km to the north of Qiujinanwa Village, Banyou Township, Zoige County, Aba Prefecture. The station scale is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line) , The effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Set up one 550m×9m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform. The Chengdu end is a long ramp of 12‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the three connection lines.

Zoige Station: Located 4.8km east of Zoige County, the station scale is 2 sets of 5 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Set up a 550m×12m×1.25m island-type intermediate platform and a 2550m×mm×1.25m basic platform each, a 10m-wide passenger tunnel and parcel passage, and a cargo yard is reserved. There is 1 comprehensive maintenance workshop on the right side of the station, and 5 branch lines, one of which is a hot standby locomotive stop line. The Chengdu end is a long ramp of 18‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the three connection lines.

Asi Station: Located in Asi Township, Zoige County, Aba Prefecture, the station scale is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), with an effective length of 650m. Set up one 550m×8m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform. The Xining end is a long ramp of 7.5‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the 4 connection lines.

Huahu Station: Located in Hongxing Township, Zoige County, Aba Prefecture, the station has 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), with an effective length of 650m. Set up one 550m×8m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform. On the right side of the station, there is 1 comprehensive maintenance work area and 3 branch lines. The Chengdu end is an 11‰ downhill, and a safety line is set at the end of the three connection lines.

Langmusi Station: Located in Langmusi Town, Luqu County, Gansu Province, close to the border between Gansu and Sichuan Province, about 2km away from the Langmusi scenic spot. At the same time, the station is located in the experimental area of Gahaizecha National Nature Reserve. The station scale is 2 sets of 5 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. There are 2 island-style intermediate platforms of 550m×12m×1.25m. Both ends of the station are equipped with "eight" crossover lines, which meet the conditions for the crossing of Chengdu direction and Xining direction. Xining end eight crossover lines and part of the throat are set on the bridge.

Zecha Station: Zecha Station is located in the Danqing Kuhe valley area. The valley is long and narrow. The natural slope of the mountains on both sides is about 20-45°, the topography is undulating, and the ground elevation is 3470-3494m. The site is located in the experimental area of the Gahaizecha National Nature Reserve. This station is an overpass station and does not handle passenger and freight operations. There are 4 arrival and departure lines (including the main line), the effective length of the arrival and departure lines is 650m, and the station slope is 6‰.

Luqu Station: Located in Qingke Village, Shuangcha Town, Luqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, 30km from the county seat. The station scale is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Set up one 550m×8m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform. There is 1 comprehensive maintenance work area on the right side of the station and 4 branch lines.

Bora Station: Bora Station is located in the Bora River Valley. The terrain is flat, open, and the terrain is undulating. The ground elevation is 2905-2926m. The area has a plateau temperate humid climate. The station is located in Bora Township, Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. This station is an overpass station and does not handle passenger and freight operations. This station is a bridge station. There are 4 arrival and departure lines (including 2 main lines), and the effective length of the arrival and departure lines is 650m. It is a reserved station and will not open in the near future.

Cooperative Station: Located on the northwest side of Gansu National Normal University in Hezuo City, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the station scale is 2 stations and 6 lines (including 2 main lines), with 2 island-style intermediate platforms of 550m×12m×1.25m. On the opposite side of the station, there are 1 work area, 1 rescue and hot standby locomotive storage point, of which there are 6 fork lines in the comprehensive maintenance workshop and 3 fork lines in the rescue facilities. The station has reserved freight yards and parking yards.

Tanggaang Station: Located between Shankaling Village and Longkou Village, Tanggaang Township, Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. This station is the junction station of Lanhe Line and this line. It is an overpass station. There are 5 arrival and departure lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Considering that the Xiahe-Lanzhou intercity train turns back at this station, the Xining end throat of this station is set up with a vertical turn in the way of "forward connection and reverse departure".

Xiahe Station: Located between Huangcitan Village and Huerkajia Village in Xiahe County, this area is located in the Xiahe River Valley area. The station scale is 2 stations and 5 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival line is 650m. Set up one 550m×8m×1.25m basic platform and one 550m×12.0m×1.25m island intermediate platform. There is 1 comprehensive maintenance work area on the same right side of the station, and 3 branch lines. The throat of the Xining end of the station is located on the 6‰ slope as a whole. The Xining end and Chengdu end have long ramps of 18‰ and 14‰ respectively. A safety line is set at the end of the 4 and 3 connection lines respectively. The throat of the Chengdu end of the station sets up the eight-character crossover line in accordance with the conditions of "send to turn back".

Ganga Station: Located in Renai Village, Ganga Township, Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, this area is located in the Ganga Basin with a relatively flat terrain. The station scale is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), with an effective length of 650m. Set up one 550×8×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform.

Tongren Station: Located in Qunwu Rizha Village, Baoan Town, Tongren County, Huangnan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, about 18km away from the county seat. The station scale is 2 sets of 6 lines (including the main line), and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. There are 2 island-style intermediate platforms of 550m×12m×1.25m, 1 passenger entry and exit tunnel each with a width of 10m, and 1 parcel passage with a width of 5m. On the opposite side of the station, there is 1 comprehensive maintenance workshop, 4 branch lines, and 1 cargo yard reserved. The Chengdu end is a long ramp of 11.889‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the three connection lines.

Jianzha Station: Located in Angla Township, Jianzha County, Huangnan Prefecture, this area belongs to the plain area of the Yellow River Valley. The scale of the station is 2 stations and 4 lines (including the main line), the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m, with a basic platform of 550m×8m×1.25m and one side intermediate platform each. There is one pull-out line at the Chengdu end with an effective length of 460m. On the opposite side of the station, there is 1 comprehensive maintenance work area and 3 branch lines. Both ends of the single crossover line and the pull-out line are set on the bridge. The Xining end is a long ramp of 10‰, and a safety line is set at the end of the 4 connecting lines.

Hualong Station: Located in Gamafu Village, Angsiduo Town, Hualong County, Haidong City. The size of the station is 2 stations and 4 lines, and the effective length of the arrival and departure line is 650m. Set up one 550m×8m×1.25m basic platform and one side intermediate platform. The 1 set of crossovers at the Chengdu end and the 1 set of turnouts at the Xining end are respectively located in the Angstow and Haidongnanshan tunnels, and the crossovers between the main lines at both ends of the station are located in the tunnels.

Dongping Station: Located in Pingan District, Haidong City, it is a bridge station, and the nature of the station is an overhang station.

Haidongxi Station: Located in Ping'an District, Haidong City, it is a station connecting existing stations with this line. The line is introduced from the Lanzhou end of the Lanzhou-Xinhua high-speed rail Haidongxi Station with the No. 18 turnout, and the station maintains the existing two 4-line lines.

The newly-built Xining-Chengdu Railway is an important part of the Lan (West)-Guangzhou Corridor, the national "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed railways, and is one of the important vertical passages in the national western railway network, which serves as a connection in the regional road network. The role of the Northwest and Southwest, connecting the road network in South China. After it is completed and opened to traffic, it will further strengthen the efficient interconnection among the three provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan. Editor/He Yuting