On October 7, I had the opportunity to interview frontline workers at the Deep River Railway construction site, operated by the China Railway Tunnel Corporation, in Guangzhou’s Nansha District. Despite the National Day holiday, these dedicated individuals were hard at work, actively involved in critical tasks like spraying concrete and clearing excavated material from the mouth of the Pearl River Estuary tunnel.

As I watched them in action, it was clear just how committed they are to meeting the project’s deadline for the Deep River Railway. Even in the humid and sweltering conditions within the tunnel, their determination to push forward with the engineering tasks was striking.

The Deep River Railway is a vital component of China’s ambitious “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” high-speed rail network, which is vital for enhancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and aligns with the Belt and Road Initiative. The Pearl River Estuary tunnel is a significant segment of this railway, stretching an impressive 13.69 kilometers and utilizing two tunnel boring machines that work towards each other. The section managed by the China Railway Tunnel Corporation includes a 2,930-meter shield tunnel, reaching a maximum underwater depth of 115 meters, with water pressure peaking at 1.06 megapascals. This construction sets the record for the deepest underwater railway tunnel in China.

The dedication and hard work of these workers truly emphasize their critical role in advancing the nation’s transportation infrastructure development.