Harbin-Yichun rail line starts laying track

The first pair of 500-meter steel rails were laid on the track bed of the Harbin-Yichun high-speed rail line in Tieli, Heilongjiang province, on Tuesday morning as China's northernmost high-speed railway entered the rail-laying phase, China Railway Harbin Group said.

Construction of the 318-kilometer Harbin-Yichun line started in May 2021. The Tieli to Yichun section has begun rail-laying, while the Harbin to Tieli section has entered the station construction phase.

Due to the high latitude, construction workers have faced difficulties such as extremely cold weather and strong winds in complex geological landscapes.

To ensure construction progress and quality, the construction unit — China Railway No 4 Engineering Group — studied climate characteristics throughout the year and selected the optimal construction period.

With a designed speed of 250 km/h, the line will reduce travel time between Harbin and Yichun from seven hours to two hours.

There are nine stops along the line, which will pass through several major cities, including Suihua.

When linked up with the previously built Harbin-Qiqihar, Harbin-Mudanjiang, Harbin-Jiamusi and Mudanjiang-Jiamusi lines, the new line is expected to help accelerate regional economic development and meet people's demands for a better travel experience.

"After its completion, the rail line will improve smooth traffic flow for local residents and also promote the local tourism industry," said Zhang Bin, deputy manager of the Tieli to Yichun section's management department.

Located in the Lesser Hinggan Mountains, Yichun has forest coverage of more than 84.7 percent and is often called "the forest capital of China". Its natural landscape attracts many visitors each year.

Electricity worker Zhang Ruifeng, 42, is looking forward to the opening of the rail line. From Harbin, Zhang began working in Yichun in 2017. Usually, after a nine-day shift in Yichun, he returns to Harbin for a six-day rest.

"The current slow train takes me over seven hours and the intercity bus takes around five hours," he said. "The new high-speed rail line will provide me with great convenience and I can spend more time with my family."