Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail won't impact Great Wall: designers

File photo of the Great Wall. [Photo: China News Service]

(ECNS) -- The proposed high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou of Hebei province is planned to cross the Great Wall three times in the capital's territory, but designers say the explosions needed to dig the tunnels will not have an impact on the structure.

Crossing two scenic areas of the Great Wall in the northwest of Beijing requires building two mountain tunnels, a section of railway that poses the greatest challenges to designers, the China Academy of Railway Science said on Tuesday.

The academy has released an environmental impact report on the section, saying 36.9 million yuan ($5.9 million) would be spent on environmental protection.

According to the report, tests have been carried out to determine the maximum level of explosive vibration the Great Wall can stand. It also gives specific suggestions about digging the tunnels.

In addition, special tracks will be laid to reduce vibrations caused by bullet trains in the future, the report says.

The design of the tunnel entrances are to be well integrated with the landscape, and the station at the section will be no taller than six meters.

Construction of the 174 km high-speed railway is expected to begin this year, and to be completed by 2017 in preparation for the cities' bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Having a total investment of 31.17 billion yuan ($5 billion), the trip between the two cities will only take 40 minutes, with the train traveling at an average of 250 km/h.