‘World record’: China replaces section of train bridge in four hours using smart maintenance machine, says railway firm
- Taihang machine used to replace worn-out bridge section on the Shuohuang railway line in Hebei province without interrupting railway service: CRCC
- It is three times as fast as existing methods, allowing bridge replacement work to be done during a ‘window period’ when the railway is not in use, says company
Chinese engineers say they have set a new world record by replacing a section of railway bridge in just four hours, without interrupting the normal service of the railway.
The feat of unprecedented efficiency was accomplished on Tuesday using a smart machine that enabled major maintenance to be done quickly and safely, they added.
The Taihang machine, the world’s first railway bridge replacement machine, was used to replace a worn-out bridge section on the Shuohuang railway line in Hebei province, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) said on its WeChat social media account.
02:26
China’s first commercial driverless sky train begins trial run in Wuhan's hi-tech park
The 500km (310-mile) line has carried more than 4.4 billion tonnes of coal – around half the annual global coal output – in two decades of operations.
The machine, named after the Taihang Mountains that separate northern and central China, is a foldable machine that can be transported by rail and “transformed” on site.
It is equipped with advanced technology and equipment such as precise positioning and adjustment mechanisms enabling it to handle different bridge replacement tasks, including in complex terrain and on high piers.