Chinese builders reach new milestone on Astana rail project

Chinese builders, taking part in the Astana Light Rail Project in the Kazakhstan capital, reached a new milestone when the section between Stations 106 and 109 achieved full connection of the mainline bridge on Aug 30.

The project, a flagship initiative under the Belt and Road framework, represents the first urban light rail system in Central Asia and the region's first rail transit project constructed entirely using Chinese standards and equipment.

Since joining the project in July 2023, builders from Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co have set several construction benchmarks, including the completion of 1,380 cubic meters of mass concrete pouring in 20 hours, the construction of 121 pile foundations within 60 wintry days and the completion of nine cast-in-place box girders in 120 days.

The achievements have exemplified the strength of "Chinese speed" and won recognition from the Astana Urban Transport System Co and the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan, according to Li Xiaoman from Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co.

According to project manager Wang Xi, Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co dispatched an advance team to Astana on July 18, 2023, and the team members completed all preparatory tasks, such as material handovers, equipment maintenance, camp repairs and material procurement, within just 10 days, laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive launch of on-site construction.

Astana's harsh winter, with sub-zero temperatures lasting nearly six months, posed a significant challenge to maintaining construction progress.

In mid-October 2023, after receiving an urgent task to construct 121 pile foundations, Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co quickly secured winter construction materials, and implemented a 24-hour shift schedule to expedite the work. The Chinese builders completed a year's worth of work for a local company within just two months.

In recognition of their exceptional efforts, the Astana Urban Transport System Co awarded four commendation medals and five letters of appreciation to Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co just in time for Kazakhstan's Republic Day.

As the summer months this year brought longer daylight hours to Astana, the project entered a prime construction period, and to accelerate the progress, the project team detailed construction tasks on a daily basis and advanced the start time to 5am in July and August.

Throughout the project, the Chinese builders adhered to a new development philosophy, introducing and promoting innovative technologies and processes, such as "fixed arc templates" and "segmented casting for cast-in-place box girders", to expedite the construction work, Li said.

Owing to its high-quality and efficient project delivery, Yunnan Construction and Investment General Contracting Co has won the bid for six additional station steel structure projects this year, further deepening Sino-Kazakh corporate cooperation and making a substantial contribution to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Please contact the writers at zhuangqiange@chinadaily.com.cn