Construction of Suzhou Rail Transit Line S1 officially begins

As the interconnectivity of the  the Yangtze River Delta region increases transport links by land, air and sea are constantly improving, 

Construction of Suzhou Rail Transit Line S1 officially began on Monday. The S1 line will connect Huaqiao Metro Line 11 with Suzhou in Jiangsu Province and is scheduled to start operations in December 2023.

From Yiting Road Station in Suzhou Industry Park in the east of downtown Suzhou, the line will have 28 stops and end at Huaqiao Station, covering 41 kilometers. The trains will run at a maximum of 100 kilometers per hour.

By 2024,passengers will be able to transfer to Suzhou's Line 3 at Yiting and go straight downtown. A branch of S1 will ultimately connect with South Taicang Station, bordering on Shanghai.

In other upgrades to the transportation system, the proposed Jiading-Minhang Line, still at the planning stage, is undergoing an feasibility study by China Railway Shanghai Design Institute Group. The line will connect North Jiading Station and North Xinzhuang Station in Minhang District, covering 41 kilometers, at a cost of about 39.9 billion yuan (US$ 5.74 billion).  Trains will run at a maximum of 160 kilometers per hour.

Passengers taking the Jiading-Minhang Line will be able to transfer the express airport line at Hongqiao International Airport.

The line will also connect the Shanghai-Ningbo and Shanghai-Hangzhou rail networks.

The Jiading-Minhang Line will be the major commuting route between the north and south of the city. It will also ease the pressure on Hongqiao public transport hub.