On December 6, the 2000th 500-meter-long steel rail was welded and offloaded at the fixed flash welding base of CRC-ECRL's Track Laying Works Section 10, marking a breakthrough of 1,000 kilometers in long steel rail welding for the project. This milestone was achieved 25 days ahead of the annual internal control target, taking a solid step towards the successful completion of all 1,400 kilometers of long rail welding.

Achieving 1,000 kilometers of long steel rail welding, one of the three key internal control targets for Section 10's track laying works in 2024, has greatly boosted team morale and set a record for the most consecutive welds without major repairs on this type of production line. Based on current efficiency, this process will be completed nearly six months ahead of the benchmark schedule.

Looking back, the long steel rail welding project has been ongoing for 14 months since its launch on October 1, 2023. From equipment installation and commissioning to passing the drop weight test for the first set of parameter steel rail welds in just 10 days, and from passing third-party type tests to achieving full-scale production, the Section 10 team effectively organized, meticulously managed, and promptly promoted the implementation of quantitative assessments, resulting in smooth progress from the first to the 2000th long steel rail weld. All 38,000 weld joints achieved 100% qualification in third-party inspections, effectively supporting the direct laying of long rails at the site and adding a significant chapter to the export of Chinese steel rails, welding equipment, and welding technology. The extension of each long steel rail embodies the team's wisdom and hard work, reflecting their pursuit of technical excellence, strict quality control, and a comprehensive demonstration of their professional competence, collaboration, and management capabilities.

Over the past year, Section 10 has consistently focused on the maintenance and repair of key core equipment, promoting a "star rating assessment" system to ensure timely maintenance of equipment from the source, eliminating faulty operations, minimizing failure rates, and effectively maintaining the good working condition of long rail welding and core track equipment to support stable production.

Looking ahead, the journey is long and arduous. The Section 10 team will continue to adhere to the concept of "safety first, quality win, fine management, and steady progress," continuously improving management and technical levels, making continuous efforts to complete all tasks such as long steel rail welding, and laying a solid foundation for the high-quality delivery of the ECRL track project, contributing to the internationalization of Chinese standards and technologies.

Source: CRC-ECRL