CHINA> Hometown Reconstruction
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-10 19:08

XI'AN -- China has begun renovating a railway that links Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, and Baoji city of Shaanxi province to better serve reconstruction in earthquake-hit areas.

Xi'an Railway Bureau dispatched more than 5,000 workers and 150 large scale vehicles to renovate the Baoji-Chengdu railway starting May 9. The repair work, covering rail grinding and railroad switch replacing, is scheduled to last 50 days.

Full coverage:
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction Sichuan, One Year On...

Related readings:
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction New schools in quake zone of Sichuan to be quake-proof
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction A memory dilemma in face of earthquake ruins
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction Life resumes normal after last May's earthquake
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction Elixir of life pours into earthquake village
China renovates railway to serve quake reconstruction Sichuan receives 15.75b yuan in quake donation
The Baoji-Chengdu route is a key north-south railway line in west China. It had been used as a major route for transporting relief goods to Sichuan after the May 12 earthquake last year.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake damaged the southern section of the railway and caused collapse of No. 109 tunnel in Gansu Province on May 12. The collapse resulted in a blaze on a train carrying gasoline.

The tunnel was reopened to traffic 12 days later and a new tunnel was built to the north side of the old one five months later with steel-reinforced concrete. The new tunnel opened to traffic on November 12.