The Nanjing-Qidong double-track railway electrification project is progressing smoothly and the railway will be opened to traffic by the end of 2014. At that time, the travel time from Nanjing to Nantong will be shortened from three hours and 50 minutes to one hour and 50 minutes, our reporter learnt from Jiangsu’s railway authority on Nov 12.
The Nanjing-Qidong railway starts from Linchang Station in Nanjing and connects Liuhe, Yizheng, Yanzhou, Jiangdu, Taizhou, Jiangyan, Hai’an, Rugao, Nantong and Qidong on its way. The railway was originally a national Level-I single track railway with a design speed of 120 km/h. After the renovation project, its design speed will be upgraded to 200 km/h, shortening the travel time from Nanjing to Yangzhou to half an hour, Nanjing to Taizhou one hour, and Nanjing to Nantong one hour and 50 minutes. Currently, the laying of tracks in Yangzhou section is almost finished; Nantong section has registered an annual investment of 470 million yuan (about US$77 million); and the CRH train will first be introduced in Nanjing-Yangzhou and Nanjing-Taizhou sections and then in Nantong section by the end of next year.
