The high-speed rail mileage in the Yangtze River Delta is equivalent to the total high-speed rail mileage of Japan and Spain. Railway | Yangtze River Delta | Spain
In 2018, the integration of the Yangtze River Delta became a national strategy, and over the past five years, the construction of the "Yangtze River Delta on track" has accelerated.
As of the end of 2022, the operating mileage of the Yangtze River Delta railway reached 13749.7 kilometers, including 6704.4 kilometers of high-speed rail, accounting for one sixth of the country's total, equivalent to the total mileage of high-speed rail in Japan and Spain. The Yangtze River Delta railway map, which is woven into a network, interconnected, and continuously expanding, has enabled all prefecture level cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, except Zhoushan, to achieve "city to city high-speed trains", and high-speed trains to operate in a public transportation system. The dream of a "1-hour to 3-hour living circle" has become a reality, and the effect of urbanization continues to expand, providing important support and guarantee for promoting high-quality integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.
In Anhui, 34 counties in the province have access to high-speed rail, with a county coverage rate of nearly 60%; The proportion of high-speed rail in the provincial railway network has reached 46%, higher than the national average. It has been opened to 23 provincial capital cities and more than 110 prefecture level cities for direct high-speed rail trains.
In Jiangsu, investment in railway construction projects has been increasing year by year. Eleven railways, including the Zhengxu high-speed railway, Xuyan high-speed railway, and Lianxu high-speed railway, have been put into operation, connecting coastal, land bridges, and central axis high-speed railway channels, and achieving a circular network of mainline railways in the province. The construction and operation of the Shanghai Suzhou Tong and Wufengshan dual-use cross river bridges, which can leave a mark in the history of world bridge construction, have been completed.
After the full opening of the Lianzhen high-speed railway, which connects Lianyungang and Zhenjiang, it further narrows the spatial and temporal distance between Huai'an and surrounding cities, effectively expanding the Huai'an mid to long distance tourism market. "In 2022, even though affected by the epidemic, Huai'an City still achieved a total tourism revenue of 28.085 billion yuan, an increase of 5.24% compared to 2020. It received 24.9355 million domestic and foreign tourists throughout the year, an increase of 13.08% compared to 2020. Most tourists came from other cities within the province, accounting for more than 60%. Tourists from outside the province mainly came from surrounding and Yangtze River Delta provinces and cities, with about 15% of them taking high-speed trains." said Zhao Yankao, Director of the Industry and Technology Department of Huai'an City's Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau.
In Huzhou, Zhejiang, less than a 10 minute drive from Huzhou Station, the prototype of Xisai Science Valley, which gathers a group of scientific research platforms and innovative talents, is taking shape. This is becoming an important node for Huzhou to integrate into the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor of the Yangtze River Delta. At present, there are 6 laboratories gathered in the Science Valley. "In September 2022, with the opening of the Huhang section of the Hehang high-speed railway and the opening of Hangzhou West Station, the work and life of Zhejiang University laboratory researchers will become more urban." Li Jianwei, Deputy General Manager of Huzhou Science and Technology Development Group Co., Ltd., said, "This year we plan to recruit six more laboratories, and the number of PhDs admitted will reach about 150. By 2024, the opening of the Shanghai Suzhou Lake railway will make it more convenient for personnel from Zhejiang to Shanghai, Jiangsu and other places."
Within this year, the construction of the Yangtze River Delta railway will also accelerate: five projects, including the Shanghai Nanjing Yangtze River High Speed Railway, the Huangchang section of the Hangchang High Speed Railway, the Jinhua Ningbo Railway, the third and fourth lines of the Zhuangqiao Ningbo section of the Ningbo Railway Hub, and the Hefei Paihegang Railway Logistics Base, have met the conditions for opening. Five projects, including the Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport Connection Line and the Beilun Branch Double Line, are planned to start construction, and 22 key continuation projects, including the Shanghai Suzhou Lake Railway and the Hangzhou Wenzhou High Speed Railway, will be steadily promoted.
According to the "14th Five Year Plan" for the development of the Yangtze River Delta Railway, by 2025, the "Yangtze River Delta on the track" will be basically completed, with nearly 16700 kilometers of railway operating mileage in the Yangtze River Delta, including nearly 9200 kilometers of high-speed rail, and a smoother microcirculation of the branch network. It is estimated that by 2025, the density of the railway network in the Yangtze River Delta will reach 507 km/10000 square kilometers. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration will build an intercity railway network with Shanghai as the center, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei as the sub center, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Xuzhou, Mount Huangshan and other cities as nodes, and intercity railways as the channel.
