China's Shenmu-Watang railway has made further progress, following the completion of the continuous beam bridge at the Qijiazhuang site on December 2, marking a further step to strengthen "west-to-east" logistics for coal transportation.

The Qijiazhuang bridge, located in the Fugu county of Shaanxi province, is a critical component of the 75.17 km railway project, for its high construction challenges due to steep terrain and complex geology.

The bridge spans 254.39 metres and crosses the Cangzhou-Yulin Expressway. Heavy traffics on the expressway add further complexity to the bridge's construction, which acts as a Gordian Knot to the Shenwa railway.

Shenwa line connects Shenmu in Shaanxi province with Watang town in Xingxian county, Shanxi province. Once operational, the heavy-haul electrified rail line is expected to carry up to 50 million tonnes of cargo annually.

It is also expected to boost capacity utilization of the underused Watang-Rizhao railway, creating a direct route to the Rizhao port in Shandong, strengthening the "west-to-east" coal transport.

As the first railway globally to be built to 30-tonne axle load standards and completed in late 2014, Wari rail line boasts a designed annual freight capacity of 200 million tonnes. Despite these capabilities, actual freight volume has lagged expectations.

Even after the China Railway Taiyuan Group added eight dedicated coal lines, annual transport volume of Wari railway only surpassed 100 million tonnes in 2022 and 2023, and slipped to 98.54 million tonnes in 2024.

The new Shenwa railway under construction will effectively buoy coal shipment from Shaanxi and Xinjiang to the eastern regions, alleviate pressure on Baoxi railway, and activate latent capacity of Wari line.

Moreover, the railway will connect westwards with Hongning railway, forming a trans-provincial coal transport corridor across Shaanxi and Shanxi. This will encourage a modal shift from road to rail, reducing logistics costs and supporting China's "dual carbon" goals.

Once operational, Shenwa railway is expected to bolster regional connectivity and serve as a vital connection line linking Wari, Baoxi, and Haoji railways, said a senior executive at Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group during its groundbreaking in March. It also promises to catalyze the shift from road to rail, lowering social logistics costs and ensuring energy security.