China constructs world largest undersea railway tunnel

China is constructing a 77-kilometer high-speed railway line designed to connect Ningbo with the Zhousan archipelago. The project includes a 16-kilometer undersea section, which is expected to become the largest undersea railway tunnel in the world.

Scheduled for completion in 2028, the project has an estimated cost of 3.2 billion yuan. Once operational, high-speed trains traveling at speeds up to 250 kilometers per hour will reduce the travel time between Ningbo and Zhousan from two hours by bus to just 26 minutes. The connection will also allow passengers from Hangzhou to reach Zhousan in 77 minutes, a significant reduction from the current four-and-a-half-hour bus journey.

The infrastructure will feature seven railway stations, including four new locations and the modernization of three existing ones. Construction officially began in November 2022, following initial proposals in 2005 and official approval from Beijing in 2018.