China needed to build a train station in nine hours: they did it with 1,500 workers, 23 excavators, and military-like organization
Drones captured hundreds of workers moving in perfect sync during a single-night rail rebuild that would normally take months.
China needed to rebuild a train station in nine hours. It did it with 1,500 workers, 23 excavators and organization that looked closer to a military operation than a construction project.
The overnight operation highlighted how coordination and meticulous planning can compress massive infrastructure work into astonishingly short time frames. Crews began work late in the afternoon and finished before dawn, completing the remodeling and track connection of Nanlong railway station in record time.
The effort stood out not only for its speed, but also for its technical complexity. The work took place in Longyan, a city in southern China, with a clear objective: link the tracks of the Ganlong, Ganruilong and Zhanglong railways to the new Nanlong line without disrupting the broader network.
A tightly choreographed overnight operation
To make that happen, authorities deployed seven specialized work trains and 23 excavators, all operating on a minute-by-minute schedule. Drones captured the scene from above, showing hundreds of workers moving simultaneously across the site, each team executing its assignment with remarkable precision.
Engineering by phases drastically reduces timeframe
The key to the operation was dividing the job into clearly defined phases designed by the engineering team. While some crews handled paving and concrete work on the rail bed, others installed rail control systems, monitoring equipment and signaling infrastructure.
Local officials said this approach allowed processes that typically take months to be completed in a single night. The upgraded station is now part of a broader rail connectivity plan stretching more than 153 miles.
The network is built to support trains traveling at speeds of up to 124 mph. Once fully operational, the improved line is expected to significantly cut travel times between southeastern and central China, boosting passenger mobility and freight transport across one of the country’s most economically important regions.
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