Wushaoling Tunnel: Difference between revisions

{{Update|inaccurate=y|date=November 2010}}{{Infobox tunnel|image=乌鞘岭特长隧道.jpg|length={{convert|21.05|km|mi|abbr=on}}|opened=March 2006|crosses=[[Wushao Mountain]]|line=[[Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway]]|pushpin_map=China}}

The '''Wushaoling Tunnel''' ({{zh|s=乌鞘岭特长隧道|t=烏鞘嶺特長隧道|p=Wūshāolǐng Tècháng Suìdào}}) is a 21.05&nbsp;km dual-bore railway [[tunnel]] in [[Gansu]], north-west China. The east-bound{{Clarify|reason=The tunnel runs in north-south direction, unclear what is meant by east-bound|date=January 2021}} bore opened on 30 March 2006.<ref name="Intel">{{cite news|date=1 May 2006|title=Intelligence|work=[[Railway Gazette International]]|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/intelligence-may-2006/|accessdate=4 June 2006}}</ref> The west-boundsecond bore is opened in August 2006.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=乌鞘岭特长隧道信号系统更新改造助力兰新铁路更畅通_滚动新闻_中国政府网|url=http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-01/16/content_5358385.htm|access-date=2020-12-31|website=www.gov.cn}}</ref> It was briefly the longest railway tunnel in China<ref name="fsdi">{{cite web| url=http://www.fsdi.com.cn/english/projects/wpics.aspx?ID=59| title=The Longest Railway Tunnel in China--Wushaoling Extra-Long Tunnel| date=26 December 2006}}</ref> until the opening of the 27.84&nbsp;km [[Taihang Tunnel]] in late 2007. In 2018, a one year reconstruction of the signaling system was started.<ref name=":0" />

The tunnel consists of two bores with centres separated by 40&nbsp;m. It is designed to allow speeds of 160&nbsp;km/h.<ref name=Intel/> The tunnel travels through complex geology, involving four regional fault zones and soft rock. The [[New Austrian Tunnelling method]] was adopted as the construction technique. An elliptical cross-section (horseshoe shape) was used for the majority of the tunnel, with a circular section used in the geologically challenging Fault Zone No. 7.<ref name=Yang>{{cite journal| last=Yang| first=J.S.|date=May–July 2006| title=Interactions of four tunnels driven in squeezing fault zone of Wushaoling Tunnel| journal=Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology| volume=21| issue=3–4| pages=359| doi=10.1016/j.tust.2005.12.176| bibcode=2006TUSTI..21..359Y|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The right (east-bound) bore was constructed first, while the left tunnel was a parallel drift with smaller diameter to be enlarged later. The gradient is mainly 1.1%. The Wuwei portal has an altitude of 2447&nbsp;m, and the Lanzhou portal 2663&nbsp;m. The maximum depth of the tunnel is 1100&nbsp;m.<ref name=Liu>{{cite journal| last=Liu| first=Zhichun|date=May–July 2006| title=Synthetical analysis on monitoring of Wushaoling railway tunnel| journal=Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology| volume=21| issue=3–4| pages=363–364| doi=10.1016/j.tust.2005.12.180 | bibcode=2006TUSTI..21..363L|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

On 26 July 2009, a locomotive taking a train on the way from [[Xi'an]] to [[Ürümqi]] caught fire in the left tunnel, about 300 meters from a tunnel portal. Over 1,700 passengers were evacuated, with injuries limited to some smoke inhalation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=27 July 2009|title=The Lanxin Line train caught fire in the Wuling Tunnel and 1700 passengers were safely evacuated|url=http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2009-07-27/022018301547.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref>