China Builds Record-Breaking Underwater Rail Tunnel

An underwater railway tunnel in southern China's Guangdong Province has set a world record after reaching a depth of 113 meters below the surface, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the State Railway Administration of China, the tunnel is part of a high-speed rail project that will connect the cities of Shenzhen and Jiangmen. Engineers expect that one section of the tunnel could reach a maximum depth of 116 meters as construction continues.

A four-kilometer stretch of the underwater tunnel has been under construction for the past four years. Progress has averaged around two meters per day, as workers navigate highly complex geological conditions, including unstable rock layers and high water pressure.

According to the project design, the tunnel will have a diameter of 13 meters and a total length of 13.69 kilometers, making it one of the most ambitious underwater rail projects in the world.

Experts note that projects like this demonstrate China's growing leadership in high-speed rail and large-scale infrastructure engineering. Once completed, the line is expected to significantly reduce travel time between major cities in the region and strengthen economic integration across the Greater Bay Area.

Interestingly, building tunnels at such depths requires advanced technologies to withstand extreme water pressure-equivalent to more than 10 times the pressure at sea level-highlighting the rapid evolution of modern tunneling techniques and engineering capabilities.

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