Railway in Yangtze Delta nears completion

Integrated development in the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster will gather more momentum as State-owned builders put finishing touches on another high-speed railway project.

China Railway 24th Bureau Group Corp Ltd, one of the State builders participating in construction of the second Shanghai-Nanjing intercity high-speed railway spanning the Yangtze River, said a train had completed a high-speed test at a maximum testing speed of 385 kilometers per hour in the joint testing process last week, representing a major milestone ahead of the expected operational launch in September.

More such tests will be carried out before full operations begin, including those concerning coordination between management of the trains and the signaling system, the China Railway Construction Corp (CRCC) unit said.

Joint testing work is normally carried out between rail builders and operators using test trains, high-speed trains and related equipment for comprehensive testing to evaluate and verify the performance and functions of systems such as power supply, contact network, communications, signaling and customer service.

Completion of the railway aims to bring some of the country's most economically vital cities within an hour's reach in their respective regions.

For many cities and regions in the delta, especially those not yet connected by high-speed railway service in Jiangsu province — such as Changzhou's Jintan district, and Jiangyin under Wuxi — the completion of the new rail directly bridges them with major cities like Shanghai in the delta region, fueling their ambitions to become integral part of the region's booming economy, the CR24's project manager said.

According to a construction progress report unveiled by the Shanghai branch of national rail operator China State Railway Group Co Ltd in June, the project's roadbed, rail bridges, tunnels, tracks and power systems, as well as station buildings, are all ready.

The new line will be another crucial link between Shanghai and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, spanning 279 kilometers and providing trains running up to 350 km/h. The railway that begins in Nanjing will connect the Jiangsu cities of Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Wuxi and Suzhou before reaching Taicang. It then connects with Shanghai via the Shanghai-Suzhou high-speed railway.

As the nation expands infrastructure investment, CRCC, which is dual-listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, said in a report filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday that it won eight bids recently, including one in Dubai, with the total contract value standing at 53.6 billion yuan ($7.4 billion). The company's Shanghai-listed shares closed 0.97 percent higher at 10.36 yuan on Monday.