A major rail route in south China is to reopen Tuesday after being cut off Monday by severe landslides, reports the China Daily Tuesday.
The 898.6-km railway line links Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi autonomous region with Kunming, capital of south China's Yunnan province.
Continuous heavy rain along the track, most of which goes through mountainous terrain, triggered several severe landslides, cutting off traffic early Monday. 66 train journeys--33 in each direction were canceled Monday.
"The railway workers are working against the clock to finish the tough task, removing huge amounts of mud and rocks from the track," said an official surnamed Shi with the Liuzhou Railway Bureau in Guangxi.
Transport could completely return to normal Tuesday, said Shi. The bureau sent about 900 members of staff to clear away the huge amounts of mud and rocks, which were as thick as six meters in certain spots.
Nanning-Kunming railway began to operate on November 30, 1997. It cut short the traditional land route by 360 to 680 km, meaning that resources from southwest could reach harbors in Guangxi more quickly for export.
(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2003)
|