Feature: Chinese young engineers shine in building Malaysia's mega rail project

Technician Zhao Dong works on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

By Xinhua writers Mao Pengfei, Leong Huey Mun, Zhu Wei

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (Xinhua) -- 22-year-old Wang Hengyang has once imagined many ways of his future life before graduation from university. However, His current role as an operator of a 1,600-ton gigantic tunnel boring machine (TBM) to build an flagship project of the "Belt and Road Initiative" in Malaysia, is among the most incredible ones.

Measuring 266 meters in length, the super machine, reputed to be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia, is one of the two TBMs to spearhead the excavation works for the East Coast Rail Link's (ECRL) twin-bore Genting tunnel.

As a fan of Transformers, heroes of serial U.S. science fiction movies, becoming an operator of this machine dragon is a dream coming true for Wang, which also transformed him from a big boy, a greenhand graduate into a man and a disciplined engineer.

Installation of the arch frame, confirmed; accurate installation of the inverted arch block, confirmed; installation and extension of the TBM tunneling track, confirmed ... "My top priority is to keep the TBM running efficiently," Wang said.

"The first thing to do every day is to take over from the previous group of colleagues. These conditions must be met at the same time for smooth excavation," he explained.

The excavation work of the 16.39 km twin-bore Genting tunnel is crucial to the construction of ECRL, jointly constructed by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which runs from Malaysia's largest transport hub Port Klang and travels across the peninsula to Kelantan state in the country's northeastern part.

Located in the mountainous area in Pahang State, the surrounding rocks of the Genting tunnel site are mainly granite, schist, phyllite and argillaceous slate. The TBM is tailored for the unique geological conditions of genting tunnel by the CCCC, and at the maximum excavation capacity of 700m per month, it will be performing three main tasks underground: excavating the tunnel, removing excavated waste to the surface, and installing concrete walls in the tunnel.

After complicated installation and testing for several months, the TBM and the Chinese engineers are ready.

Deep inside the tunnel, it is a real challenge for engineers to work there in uniform and helmet with the extreme heat and moisture. With machines roaring and air stagnating, walking in the TBM is like in a submarine.

However, 32-year-old Zhao Dong and his colleagues of the maintenance team have to bustle around in it everyday.

To ensure the TBM's smooth operation, they have to check all the operating machinery in every shift, including abrasion status of blazes, maintenance of drilling rigs, and installation of protective devices, among others, so that problems could be solved as soon as they are found, said Zhao.

"We have to check around 280 items, and going through the whole procedure takes around three hours," Zhao said. "It's like screening a pile of rice for grains of sands. It's very hard to find the sand, but easier to clean."

"As the maintenance team, we must be very careful and work very hard to try to find the problems and nip them in the buds to ensure the good operation of the TBM," Zhao said, adding that being a part of this project is a proud experience.

After the excavation officially starts, it will take three years for the tunnel work to be fully completed, Malaysian Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said when visiting the construction site earlier this year.

Professionalism and close cooperation of the CCCC and its Malaysian partners in the ECRL bodes well for the mega project, Wee said, adding that the Chinese side honors whatever they promise.

The ECRL is expected to greatly enhance connectivity and bring more balanced growth to the country, by linking its less-developed region on the East Coast to the economic heartland on the West Coast upon its completion in 2026. ■

A technician checks the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Technician Zhao Dong (R) and operator Wang Hengyang check the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Technician Dong Yuanxin works on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Technicians work on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Operator Wang Hengyang works on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

A technician walks on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Photo taken on April 29, 2022 shows the entrance of the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Technician Zhao Dong (R) and operator Wang Hengyang check the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Technicians work on the massive Chinese-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Sun Guangbing (2nd R) checks the production of the prefabricated invert arch blocks at the construction site of the Genting tunnel of the East Coast Rail Link near Bentong in Pahang state, Malaysia on April 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)