The Anglian-Papu Railway Tunnel is a major achievement of China and Uzbekistan's joint construction of the Belt and Road, and it is also a part of China-Central Asia-Europe, an important international transport corridor on the Silk Road. Among them, the Kamchik tunnel is 19.2 kilometers long, ranking first in Uzbekistan and even Central Asia. It is a miracle in the history of tunnel construction in the world and is known as the "Presidential No. 1 Project."

Kamchik Tunnel

The Kamchik Tunnel is the "throat" of the Anglian-Paphua Railway and the longest railway tunnel in Central Asia contracted by the China Railway Tunnel Bureau.

The construction process of less than 3 years flashed frame by frame like a slide: May 24, 2013, on-site inspection, July 11, the project department was formally established, July 29, the design and construction general contract took effect, September 5 The first shot was released into the tunnel. On March 26, 2015, the entrance of the safety tunnel and the No. 1 inclined shaft were penetrated. On February 25, 2016, the entire tunnel was penetrated. From the formal excavation to the completion of the tunnel, the builders used 900 days to achieve the miracle of the train traveling through the mountain in 900 seconds.

Behind the amazing speed is the unimaginable difficulty of construction and the determination and courage of the Chinese and Ukrainian builders to overcome the difficulties. The excavation of the tunnel requires a total of 7 different geological faults. During the construction period, there were only more than 3,000 rock bursts with medium strength or above. The most serious rock burst caused the tunnel to collapse by nearly 2,000 cubic meters, which greatly caused the safety of the construction personnel. Threats also bring a heavy psychological burden. The construction period in winter is as long as 5 months each year, and the minimum temperature reaches minus 43 degrees. Avalanches are prone to occur, but the construction period is not delayed for a day. Faced with the harsh construction environment and harsh natural conditions, the builders faced difficulties, held transnational conferences, conducted disaster consultations, formulated special plans, carried out scientific research, adopted Chinese technology, followed Chinese standards, created Chinese speed, and made the sky a thoroughfare. .

This tunnel is a new bond of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of China and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's then President Karimov spoke highly of the Kamchik Tunnel and the Chinese builders twice in his New Year's message in 2016 and the Cabinet Meeting on Economic Situations held in January. The construction of the tunnel has not only attracted the attention of Uzbek officials, but also the support of the local people. In the process of tunnel construction, China Railway Tunnel Group hired a large number of local employees to promote employment. Jia Hum, who once drove for the tunnel project, became fluent in Chinese in two and a half years. He used the income from tunnel work to honor his parents and help his younger brother to go to college. He became the financial pillar of the family. Jia Heng said: "If there are any new projects in China that need to be recruited, I will definitely sign up." Uzbek builders like Jia Heng are constantly appearing in the project, which has become a beautiful landscape of project construction. I believe that the friendship between China and Uzbekistan is also It will deepen as the tunnel extends.

On June 22, 2016, President Xi Jinping and the then President of Uzbekistan Karimov attended the video connection event of the opening of the "Anglian-Pap" railway tunnel in Tashkent

This tunnel is a demonstration project for co-construction of the Belt and Road interconnection cooperation. For the local people, it turns out that from Tashkent to Fergana need to detour other countries, 150 kilometers. Now it only takes 3 hours, which is 6 hours less than before, which greatly promotes the development of the Uzbek railway and economic and social development. On June 22, 2016, President Xi Jinping and the then President of Uzbekistan Karimov attended the video connection event of the "Anglian-Pap" railway tunnel opening in Tashkent, congratulating the opening of the tunnel. With the great attention of the two countries and the wide attention of the world, the Chinese and Uzbek people have written stories in this tunnel, created miracles, spread friendship, and let the achievements of the Belt and Road construction benefit the world.

Uzbekistan is a big country in Central Asia. China's joint construction of the Belt and Road with Central Asian countries has geo-cultural advantages and political and legal advantages, and has won the support and approval of the people of all countries. China is willing to work with all parties including Uzbekistan to seize historical opportunities, deal with various risks and challenges, and promote the construction of the Belt and Road to a higher level and wider space. Riding on the east wind of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the friendship between China and Central Asian countries that has lasted for a thousand years will bloom even more splendidly. Editor/Tian Zengpeng