Shanghai Hongqiao to Huzhou can be reached in 55 minutes, and the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway was officially opened today.
The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway, connecting Shanghai via Suzhou to Huzhou, will be officially opened at 10 am today (the 26th). After the opening, Shanghai Hongqiao to Huzhou can be reached in just 55 minutes, adding a new artery to the “rail network in the Yangtze River Delta”.
The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway starts at Shanghai Hongqiao Station in Shanghai, passes through Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, and connects to Huzhou Station in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. The total length of the line is 164 kilometers, with 8 stations including Shanghai Hongqiao, Suzhou South, and Huzhou. The沿线 of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway is mostly composed of alluvial plains and wetland protection areas, making ecological protection an important issue for the construction of the entire line’s 38 bridges.
Liu Zhouji, secretary of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway project at China Railway 14th Engineering Bureau: “The construction of the lower part of the bridge is a critical part that affects water quality. We use double-row steel pipe piles to enclose the entire construction area, like setting up a sealed barrier around it. By draining the water inside before construction, we effectively reduce pollution to the water body and meet the standard of ecological protection.”
The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway is designed to travel at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. In the initial stage of opening, up to 38 bullet trains will operate daily. Shanghai Hongqiao to Huzhou can be reached in just 55 minutes, which is 55 minutes faster than the previous route via Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou and Nanjing-Hangzhou high-speed railway from Hangzhou to Huzhou. Shanghai Hongqiao will also have the first bullet trains to Hangzhou West Station, which can be reached in just 78 minutes.
Wei Qiang, a senior engineer at the Transport Department of China Railway Shanghai Bureau: After adjusting the train schedule in the first quarter of 2025, there will be up to 229 bullet trains operating daily on the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway. Meanwhile, the implementation of flexible discounts and differentiated market pricing mechanisms on this line will provide passengers with more travel options.
The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway connects to Shanghai’s railway hub at Shanghai Hongqiao Station and links with Nanjing-Hangzhou high-speed railway and Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway at Huzhou Station. It is a key project for the Yangtze River Delta’s high-speed rail network to enhance connectivity and fill network gaps. After its opening, it will further improve the regional network layout and facilitate travel along the route.
