Green landscape all the way – China-Laos Railway stresses ecology

"You'll see flowers and green landscape all the way. Passengers of the China-Laos Railway feel as if they're traveling in beautiful paintings," said Wang Gengjie, Chairman of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd., adding that the Railway gives equal weight to construction and resources and environment and takes ecology as its blood.

The China-Laos Railway runs 1,035 kilometers from Kunming of Yunnan down to Vientiane of Laos. It is an international line funded by China, built with Chinese technical standards and Chinese equipment since the proposal of the BRI, and is directly connected with China's railway network.

Early in the field survey stage, the designers of the China section elaborated plans for the routes, tunnels, cross-river bridges and stations, in consideration of overall geology and sensitive environmental factors, before finalizing an economical and environmental-friendly master plan. According to the chief designer of China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co., Ltd, the plan adopted opinions from relevant environmental and water resource authorities and the environmental impact assessment. The railway now is clear from the core areas, buffer zones and environmentally sensitive sites of natural reserves.

Dense jungles are the haunts of wild elephants. Constructions in Xishuangbanna are subject to rigorous environmental restrictions. The railway not only passes by elephants' habitats but also has animal passages and fences to minimize artificial impact on the wild elephants.

The Yexianggu (Wild Elephant) Valley Station, as its name suggests, features many elephant elements. The light strips on the lobby ceiling take shape of a sprinkling elephant trunk and an elephant footprint. "Construction of the station was done undergroundthrough two tunnels at both ends to minimize environmental impact," explained Wang Junmin, head of the Yexianggu Station project, Yuxi-MohanRailway, China Railway Construction Group Co., Ltd.

The Yuxi-MohanRailwayProject Department of Sinohydro Bureau 14 Co., Ltd. took care of the section in Dadugang Township, Xishuangbanna. "To prevent wild elephants from damaging the railway and threatening train safety, bridges are erected so that the beasts may walk underneath," said Zhao Sichuang, technical head of the department. Along the 8.4-kilometer section, 35 culverts are built, of which seven are designed for wild elephants.

The railway goes through tropical rainforest ecological systems. To best preserve local ecology, the civil excavation was well controlled to minimize damage to vegetation. The Ganlanba Bridge, extending 3.5 kilometers above 108 piers, runs through the green woods, fields and paths in Ganlanba (Olive Basin). "The bridge minimizes impact on local ecology and occupation of arable land, and forms a beautiful landscape for tourists," said Yang Fan, chief engineer of the Yuxi-MohanRailway Project Department, the 2nd Engineering Co., Ltd. of China Railway 22nd Bureau Group. Construction wastes were sent to designated sites and waste waters were treated before discharge.

During the construction, waste waters were treated in five-layer settling tanks, and grasses and trees are planted to control water pollution. In station premises, energy-saving technologies, e.g. energy-saving lamps and smart control technology, are applied, plus natural light illumination. For most of the bridges, concreting and steel structure welding were done viacantilevers, with the basket bottom sheltered to prevent concrete and welding sparks from falling into rivers.

China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. has taken care of ecology and biodiversity throughout the construction. Based on different climates, vegetation and local cultures along the railway, it has grown appropriate plants, and reinforced the foundations and side slopes to minimize soil erosion.