Super shield starts digging longest tunnel for airport rail
The Dongfang, or the Orient, super shield machine on Tuesday began digging the longest part of the express line to connect the city's Hongqiao and Pudong airports.
China's domestically developed super shield machine on Tuesday began its digging work in the construction of the longest part of the express line that will connect the city's Hongqiao and Pudong airports.
The Dongfang, or the Orient, developed by China Communications Construction, set off from Zhangjiang High-tech Park and will dig through the Shanghai International Resort in the Pudong New Area.
The 5.69-kilometer-long section between the two stations is the longest tunnel of the express line in Pudong. All the tunnel structures will be prefabricated to reduce impact on the surrounding environment.
The 68.6km express line is expected to shorten travel time between the two airports to less than 40 minutes from 90 minutes on completion in 2024. The line will have nine stations across Xuhui and Minhang districts as well as Pudong. It will have three main parts – Puxi, Pudong and the cross-river section.
Currently, passengers can take Metro Line 2 or an airport bus between the two airports. This takes between 70 and 90 minutes, depending on whether commuters use the maglev tain in addition to the Metro.
