Jiangyin becomes new hub of high-speed railways

The South Jiangsu Railway will connect main cities in Jiangsu like Nanjing, Jiangyin, Changzhou and Zhangjiagang. [Photo/wxrb.com]

Jiangyin, Jiangsu province, is set to become a prominent intersection on the South Jiangsu and Yan-Tai-Xi-Chang-Yi high-speed passenger railways.

Construction is set to proceed as planned. Jiangsu province's Environmental Protection Department issued an environmental impact statement focused on Yan-Tai-Xi-Chang-Yi Railway's construction July 8. A feasibility study of the South Jiangsu Railway project was also approved by authorities.

The South Jiangsu Railway will connect main cities in Jiangsu like Nanjing, Jiangyin, Changzhou and Zhangjiagang and is designed to reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and be completed in four years.

Travel from Jiangyin to Nanjing or Shanghai used to take two hours by car or coach. The new high-speed railway will complete the journey in under an hour, better integrating Jiangyin into the Yangtze River Delta.

The south-north-running Yan-Tai-Xi-Chang-Yi Railway will travel largely on bridges with 43 needed to carry the main line. Construction of a bridge over the Yangzte to Jiangyin will commence in 2019 and be completed in July 2025. The two-level bridge will devote one level to highway traffic, easing congestion on Jiangyin Bridge.