On December 26th at 9:45 AM, the inaugural train from Huzhoudong to Shanghai Hongqiao, G9508, departed from Huzhoudong Station. Following this, the Shanghai Hongqiao to Anji G9501/0 and Suzhounan to Zhangjiagang G9502 trains subsequently set off from Shanghai Hongqiao and Suzhounan stations, respectively. They sped along the high-speed rail line connecting Shanghai, Suzhou, and Huzhou (hereinafter referred to as the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway), marking the official opening of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway for operation. Newly built stations such as Shanghai Songjiang Station were also put into use simultaneously, adding a new artery to the "Yangtze River Delta on the Rail".

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway starts from Shanghai Hongqiao Station in Shanghai Municipality, passes through Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province, and ends at Huzhou Station in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The total length of the line is 164 kilometers with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour. It includes eight stations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Songjiang, Liantang, Suzhounan, Shengze, Huzhou Nanxun, Huzhoudong, and Huzhou Station. Among these, Shanghai Hongqiao and Huzhou Station are existing stations, while the rest are newly built.

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway operates at a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour. In the initial phase of operation, the railway departments have scheduled passenger trains according to regular and peak lines. The fastest travel times from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shanghai Songjiang, Suzhounan, and Huzhou Nanxun stations are 16 minutes, 26 minutes, and 43 minutes respectively, while the journey from Shanghai Hongqiao to Huzhou Station takes a minimum of 55 minutes. Additionally, the first direct train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhouxi takes only 78 minutes.

On the opening day at 10:00 AM, the first "Enjoy Travel in the Yangtze River Delta ? New Rhythms of Jiangnan Ancient Towns" branded tourist train departed from Shanghai Hongqiao Station. Nearly 100 tourists embarked on a three-day winter cultural tour of ancient towns along the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou High-Speed Railway, visiting Nanxun Ancient Town, exploring the water town of Lu Village, and admiring the scenery of Tai Chi Cave.

Source: anhuinews.com