The preliminary map of the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei high-speed railway. [Photo/WeChat account: haimenfabu]

China State Railway Group Co Ltd, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and the Anhui Provincial People's Government approved the preliminary design of the new Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei high-speed railway on Aug 24, according to the Nantong municipal transportation bureau.

The railway starts from the newly built Shanghai Baoshan Railway Station in Shanghai and terminates at the existing Hefei South Railway Station, passing by Suzhou, Nantong, Taizhou, Yangzhou and Nanjing in Jiangsu province and Chuzhou and Hefei in Anhui province.

The total length of the railway is 554.6 kilometers and the designed speed is 350 km/h.

A total of 16 stations will be set up along the railway, including Shanghai Baoshan, Taicang, Chongming, Qidong West, Haimen North, Nantong, Rugao West, Huangqiao, Taizhou South, Yangzhou East, Yizheng North, Nanjing North, Chuzhou, Dashu, Feidong and Hefei South.

For Nantong, it will be the city’s first east-west high-speed railway and another cross-river channel combined highway and railway, which is an important milestone for Nantong in the building of a modern comprehensive transportation hub connecting the whole country.