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World’s largest, 4,000-ton rail tunneling machine sets continuous excavation record
['Mrigakshi Dixit']
Interesting Engineering
China has reportedly reached a major infrastructure milestone with the completion of the under-river section of the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel.
Global Times reported that the development was achieved using “Linghang” (Navigator), which is the world’s largest-diameter high-speed railway shield tunneling machine.
Crews relied on Linghang, an independently developed mega shield machine that features the world’s largest diameter for its class.
Operating continuously beneath complex sub-river geology of riverbed silt and sand, the shield machine operated without intermediate access shafts.
Equipped with digital-twin smart controls and advanced geological forecasting systems, Navigator established a global benchmark for long-distance, large-diameter shield tunneling.