Mega HSR project heralds brighter future for nation's rural vitalization

Yang Xiaowu, a villager in Shaoyang, Central China's Hunan province, was jubilant when he saw the 315.69-meter-long Xintangchong Tunnel being fully connected by State builders on Tuesday, marking the fast progress of a high-speed railway being built in the area.

Constructors from China Railway No 4 Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREC4) are helping build the HSR linking Shaoyang and Yongzhou, the last two remaining prefecture-level cities in Hunan that do not have an HSR allowing trains to run 350 kilometers per hour.

"In the past, we had to cross mountains and valleys to find work elsewhere. Our travel will be more convenient. And moreover, with an HSR station being built on our doorstep, many villagers have become temporary workers in constructing the railway," said Yang.