A new high-speed railway line connecting Shanghai to the cities of Suzhou and Huzhou in East China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces began trial operations on Saturday, marking a milestone in an infrastructure project set to further integrate the economically vital Yangtze River Delta region.▲ The route of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail line. Photo/China Railway Shanghai GroupAt 9:27 am, the first trial operation train, G55505, departed from Shanghai Hongqiao Station, running along the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail line, and arrived at the destination Huzhou Station in Zhejiang at 10:10 am.▲ High-speed train attendants welcome passengers to the G55505 train. Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily The 163-kilometer Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail line has a designed operating speed of 350 km/h. The entire line features eight stations, with two existing stations and six new ones.▲ Passengers onboard the G55505 train. Photo by Gao Erqiang/China DailyUpon completion, the high-speed rail journey from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Huzhou Station will be reduced from around two hours to about one hour.The trial operations will continue for around a month, with the line expected to be ready for official operations by late December, according to China Railway Shanghai Group."The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail is a significant infrastructure interconnection project for Shanghai, Suzhou and Huzhou. It is also a key project for the Yangtze River Delta region's high-speed rail network integration, densification and enhancement," said Feng Chenglin, deputy head of the Shanghai railway hub project of China Railway Shanghai Group Co Ltd.▲ High-speed train attendants celebrate the trial operation of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail line. Photo by Gao Erqiang/China DailyFeng noted that after its official opening, the new line will effectively alleviate transport pressure on the Shanghai-Nanjing and Shanghai-Hangzhou rail corridors."This is crucial for promoting high-quality integrated development in the region," Feng added.Wei Qiang, a senior engineer from the China Railway Shanghai Group Co Ltd, said that the trial operations mainly involve testing operating schedules, simulating faults, conducting emergency rescue drills, and on-schedule operations in line with test outlines.▲ A high-speed train attendant welcomes passengers to the G55505 train. Photo by Gao Erqiang/China DailyThis comprehensive test simulates official operations to examine areas like rail transport organization, train dispatching, operating density, and equipment status, providing a scientific basis for the formal launch. The trial operation utilizes regular high-speed train models, with stations simulating passenger services along the route.Wei revealed that after breaking ground in June 2020, the entire line was connected in track-laying by June 2024, followed by static acceptance in August and integrated commissioning and testing in September.▲ A new high-speed railway line connecting Shanghai to East China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces begins trial operations. Photo by Gao Erqiang/China DailySince then, various test trains have been deployed at different speed levels, completing a total of over 770 test runs and 52,000 kilometers of testing mileage, with integrated test trains reaching a maximum speed of 385 km/h while safely and efficiently fulfilling all commissioning and testing tasks, said Wei.Reporter: Zheng Zheng
