Recently, temperatures across Gansu have dropped sharply, and Huating City, where the Chenjiagou Coal Mine Branch Line Project of the newly built Tianshui-Longnan Railway (the southern extension of the Tianping Railway) is located, has also welcomed its first heavy snowfall of 2021. On October 10, heavy snow fell thick and fast, but the biting cold could not stop the enthusiasm of the railway builders. The roar of machinery echoed through the project site as the Foshan Temple Tunnel of the Chenjiagou Coal Mine Branch Line Project officially started construction.

The Chenjiagou Coal Mine Branch Line Project is located within Huating City, Pingliang City, Gansu Province, west of the Baozhong Railway and north of the Tianping Railway, with the line running roughly north-south. The main line has a total length of 8.167 km. The entire line has three stations: Qinglin Station, Chenjiagou Station, and Yanbei Station. Among them, Qinglin Station is a national railway connection station, Chenjiagou Station is a newly built loading station, and Yanbei Station is an existing loading station. The main line includes three tunnels: Qiulongshan Tunnel, Foshan Temple Tunnel, and Chenjiagou Tunnel.

The Foshan Temple Tunnel is a single-track railway tunnel of National Railway Class III, with a design speed of 40 km/h and a total length of 392 m. The construction breakthrough period is 452 days. It is located opposite the urban area of Huating City, adjacent to the Huamei Group coal washing plant, and runs parallel to the Chenjiagou Tunnel through the front edge of the micro-hilly section of the loess ridge and mound area. It lies in the transition zone between the edge and the top of the loess ridge and mound, with the centerline spacing between the two tunnels being approximately 17.5 to 25 m. In the earlier stage, the Tianshui-Longnan Railway Company communicated and coordinated with the local government many times and worked closely with the construction unit to strengthen organization and management in land acquisition and demolition, advancing the land acquisition and demolition work in accordance with laws and regulations, thereby providing a strong guarantee for the smooth start of construction of the Foshan Temple Tunnel.

The start of construction marks that the project has entered the stage of full-scale construction. In the face of local low-temperature, rainy, and snowy weather, all on-site staff will, while ensuring safety, devote themselves to work on the front line with full enthusiasm, scientifically and reasonably arrange work plans, promote the overall progress of the project with quality and quantity guaranteed, and demonstrate the sense of mission and responsibility of Gansu Railway Investment personnel.