A map shows the route of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Railway [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Sales of tickets for the long-awaited Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Railway started at 11 am on June 30, one day before the official opening of the railway.

Passengers can buy tickets on the country's official train ticket platform 12306 and other channels such as ticket offices at railway stations.

In the initial phase of operation, the railway department will launch a maximum of 44.5 pairs of passenger trains and six pairs of freight trains per day, including 9.5 pairs from Nantong to Shanghai Hongqiao, 4.5 from Shanghai to Nantong, one from Qidong to Hangzhou South, and one from Qidong to Shanghai Hongqiao.

The 143-kilometer rail line will reduce travel time between Shanghai and Nantong from 3.5 hours to about 1 hour. People in the two cities will also no longer need to transfer in Nanjing.

The opening of the line is expected to enhance the role of Shanghai in driving the regional economy and promoting the regional integration of the Yangtze River Delta.

It is also an important part of the coastal passage in the high-speed railway network planned by the national medium and long-term railway network.