(Yicai Global) Aug.10--AChinese raillinehasfor the first timebeen built alongthe Longmenshan Fault,aseismic zone prone to strong earthquakes, such as the one which struck it in the catastrophic 2008Wenchuanevent, which claimed at least 69,000 lives and left 17,000 missing.

China's Cheng-LanRailway officiallystarted station constructiononthe sectionfrom Chengdu to Chuanzhusiin southwestern Sichuan province yesterday, markingthe first timeaChinese railwaylinehastraversedthe70 by 500 kilometerLongmenshan Fault on the northwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin.

The project usesa variety of seismic fortificationtechniquestoraiseits earthquake-resistancecapacity,stateXinhuanews agencyreported.

TheCheng-Lan Railway from Chengdu,Sichuan province to Lanzhou innorthwesternGansu province is 276kilometerslongand hasadesign speed of 200 kilometers perhour.Complex geological conditionsimpose highseismic prevention and disaster mitigationrequirements on thisstretch.

Ten passenger station will be built along thesegmentthat crosses the earthquake area.They will havea total constructedarea of 27,000 square meters.

The 8.0 Richter scaleWenchuan EarthquakeconvulsedBeichuan county May 12, 2008.An7.0-earthquakethat hitYa'anin Sichuan province onthe same dayalso liesalongtheextensive fault.

Editor: Ben Armour