The Shanghai-Nanjing High-speed Railway along the Yangtze River started trial operation as the G55301 train left Nanjing South Railway Station for Taicang at 8 a.m. on Aug. 16. This new high-speed railway is expected to get fully ready to open in September. At that time, Suzhou’s Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Taicang will join the “1-hour high-speed rail circle in the Yangtze River Delta”.
The Shanghai-Nanjing High-speed Railway along the Yangtze River runs from Nanjing South Railway Station to Taicang Station, where it connects to Shanghai via the Shanghai-Nantong Railway. It has 8 stations in total, i.e., Nanjing South, Jurong, Jintan, Wujin, Jiangyin, Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Taicang. The line is about 279 kilometers long and has a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. It stretches about 101 kilometers in Suzhou, including the Zhangjiagang section of 38.5 kilometers, the Changshu section of 38 kilometers, and the Taicang section of 24.5 kilometers.
The construction of the high-speed railway began in October 2018. It is the second intercity railway between Nanjing and Shanghai. As a crucial line in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region’s intercity rail transportation network, it will be of great significance in enhancing the connection between southern Jiangsu and Shanghai, so as to promote the integration of the YRD region and the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.