Case Studytunnel boring machinehigh speed railchina railway tunnel groupml driven
China Achieves 10,000m Tunneling With Shield Machine
7.0
China's independently developed largest-diameter shield machine, Linghang, reached a 10,000-meter tunneling milestone under the Yangtze River on Dec. 16, 2026, advancing the Chongming–Taicang high-speed rail link. The 15.4-meter cutting-wheel, 148-meter-long machine will form a 14.25-kilometer underwater tunnel designed for 350 km/h trains and uses intelligent autonomous controls, with boring expected to finish by late 2026.
Key Points
- 1Achieves 10,000m continuous tunneling using Linghang, a 15.4m-diameter, 148m-long shield machine.
- 2Establishes records: longest single-drive 11.32km, 350 km/h design speed, and 89m maximum depth.
- 3Enables ML-driven autonomous tunneling systems, improving safety and efficiency for large-diameter underwater construction.
Scoring Rationale
Major engineering milestone with ML-enabled automation, but scope limited to tunneling infrastructure and regional rail project.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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