More than half of the walls and vaults of the Kerak Tunnel under construction on the TransSiberian Railway have been concreted, GK 1520 has reported. The work is being done by the company’s subsidiary.
When put into operation, which is scheduled for 2024, the object will become the longest tunnel on the TransSiberian Railway.
At present, waterproofing is being put in place and spatial reinforcement frames are being installed. The next stage will be reinforcement and placement of concrete in the tunnel base. Structures and equipment are being installed in the sections that are finished. In parallel with these works, the drilling of dewatering wells has begun.
At the approaches to the tunnel, half of the poles for the overhead system have been installed, and communication, signaling, centralization and blocking cables are being laid. In December, it is planned to start hanging the tunnel’s overhead system. At the tunnel’s eastern and western portals, paramilitary guardhouses, a track section control room, and a garage are being built.
The Kerak Tunnel will be 926 meters long. The structure is being built next to the old tunnel, which, after 110 years of operation, does not meet current safety requirements, so trains have to reduce speed when passing it. The odd track of the old tunnel is undersized, so electric locomotives have to lower the current collector.
After the opening of the new tunnel, trains will be able to run at a higher speed. This will increase the capacity of the Zabaikalskaya Railway. The old tunnel will be used as an evacuation and drainage structure then.
Russian Railways began the construction of the new Kerak Tunnel in August 2021.
Photo: courtesy of GK 1520