Independently developed, it is the world's largest-diameter high-speed rail tunneling machine.
Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that last Thursday's breakthrough marks the completion of the river-crossing section of the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel, paving the way for high-speed trains to cross the Yangtze at speeds of up to 350 kph without slowing down.
The 11.325-kilometer single-pass excavation is a world record, according to thepaper.cn.
The tunnel stretches 14.25 kilometers in total and includes three vertical shafts. The section beneath the river reaches a maximum depth of 89 meters below the riverbed and withstands water pressure of up to 0.9 megapascals.
Linghang tunnel boring machine at the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel construction site in 2025. Photo from Facebook
