On March 2, reporters learned from the Xi'an-Kunming High-Speed Railway Company Limited that the first high-speed rail catenary support pole for the Ankang–Chongqing section of the Xi'an–Chongqing high-speed railway has been installed, marking the full launch of the 'four-electricity' engineering works for this segment.

The groundbreaking ceremony site

The 'four-electricity' systems refer to the four major subsystems of communications, signaling, power supply, and traction power supply, which serve as the 'central nervous system' and power source of high-speed rail. Among these, the catenary system—dubbed the 'power lifeline' for high-speed rail operations—delivers electrical energy through dynamic contact between the train's pantograph and the overhead wires. The construction quality of this system directly affects operational safety and stability.

Route schematic diagram

Wu Ning, on-site manager of the China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau's Xi'an–Chongqing High-Speed Railway project department, stated that the 'four-electricity' works for the Ankang–Chongqing section will involve erecting 9,109 catenary support poles, constructing seven new traction substations, and installing approximately 1,198 kilometers of catenary wiring. Advanced technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and BIM (Building Information Modeling) will be employed during construction to precisely control critical parameters—including contact wire height and stagger distance—with tolerances maintained at the millimeter level, aiming to create a 'zero-defect' 'energy track'.

The first high-speed rail catenary support pole for the Kangzhou–Chongqing section of the Xi'an–Chongqing High-Speed Railway is currently being installed

The Xi'an–Chongqing high-speed railway spans over 700 kilometers and is divided into two segments: Xi'an to Ankang and Ankang to Chongqing. The Ankang–Chongqing segment traverses Shaanxi Province, Sichuan Province, and Chongqing Municipality, passing through Dazhou and Guang'an in Sichuan, with a designed operating speed of 350 kilometers per hour. To date, 49 tunnels have been fully connected and 65 bridges have been closed on this segment, placing it firmly in the critical phase of girder erection, station construction, and 'four-electricity' system installation.

The first high-speed rail catenary support pole for the Kangzhou–Chongqing section of the Xiyu High-Speed Railway is currently being installed

Upon completion, the Xi'an–Chongqing high-speed railway will interconnect with other high-speed lines including Chengdu–Chongqing, Zhengzhou–Chongqing, Chongqing–Kunming, Xi'an–Yan'an, and Xi'an–Shiyan, further enhancing the railway network structure in central and western China. Travel time by rail between Xi'an and Chongqing will be reduced from approximately six hours to 2.5 hours.

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】