On July 21, 2022, as the Xihu Railway Huxian Station entered the foundation construction stage, this means that the Xihu Railway renovation and upgrading project officially started construction.

West Gate Railway Reconstruction and Improvement Project

It is reported that the Xihu Railway Reconstruction and Upgrade Project starts from Afanggong South Station in the north, connects with Afanggong South Station of Metro Line 5, and ends at Huxian Station in Huyi District in the south. The total length of the reconstruction line is 26.3 kilometers and there are 5 stations. New Epang Palace South, Kunming Pond and Wuzhu Stations will be built, Huxian Station and Mawang Station will be rebuilt (among which Wuzhu Station and Mawang Station are Rendezvous Stations and no passenger transportation will be handled), and a new Huyi parking lot will be built. In addition to meeting the existing freight function, the reconstructed line will increase the passenger function, mainly for business passenger flow, taking into account the commuter passenger flow. It is an auxiliary passenger passage connecting Huyi District and Xixian New District to the central urban area.

The Xihu Railway Reconstruction and Upgrade Project is the first bus-based passenger train line in Shaanxi Province to use the excess transportation capacity of the existing railway. After completion, it will increase the transportation supply in the southwest of Xi'an City, and accelerate the construction of a national central city and the integration process of Xi'an and Xian.

In addition to the renovation of rails, roadbeds, bridges, stations, and electromechanical equipment within the scope of passenger transportation, 42 level crossings along the line will be renovated and upgraded. After the renovation, 21 road interchanges will be set up, and 3 level crossings will be reserved. (Excavation and other ground breaking activities are strictly prohibited within the Fenghaojing site), and 18 roads are closed. Simultaneously with the renovation, railway protection fences will be added along the line to enhance the surrounding environmental landscape, and sound barriers, sound insulation windows, and track vibration damping measures will be set up in a coordinated manner to reduce noise impact. Passenger vehicles are planned to use a new type of internal combustion vehicle with a design speed of 100km/h.

In order to ensure the construction progress and overcome the impact of the construction on the existing railway freight, Xi'an Railway Group sorted out the construction period nodes in detail and arranged the plan in reverse. Prepare material reserves in advance to achieve the best overall planning of existing line construction and transportation.

In the next step, under the premise of ensuring safety and quality, Xi'an Rail Group will complete various tasks with high standards, high quality and high efficiency, and strive to build the Xihu Railway reconstruction and upgrading project into the first urban (suburban) railway in Shaanxi Province. The renovation demonstration project has made positive contributions to the construction of a multi-level rail transit network in the Xi'an metropolitan area, a rapid commuter network in the Xi'an metropolitan area, and a new chapter in the high-quality development of Xi'an Rail Group. Editor/He Yuting