The largest tunnel boring machine in China has successfully pierced the Yangtze River to build the Chongtai Tunnel. The tunnel will connect Chongming Island with Taicang City, bringing high-speed rail service to China's third-largest island. The boring machine, named Linghang, was able to complete the 11.3-kilometer underwater drilling with high precision to accommodate trains traveling at speeds of 350 km/h. When operational, the Chongtai Tunnel will be the fastest underwater high-speed rail tunnel in the world. Travel across the Yangtze River through this tunnel is estimated to take only two minutes.
