A high-speed train travels through the countryside. [Photo/wxrb.com]

Jiangsu province is ushering in a new era of intercity connectivity with ten new railway lines set to be constructed over the coming five years. These plans are part of the province's 13th Five-Year Plan and two of these lines, South Jiangsu Intercity Railway and Yan-Tai-Xi-Chang-Yi Railway, will make stops in Wuxi.

South Jiangsu Intercity Railway, the third high-speed route between Shanghai and Nanjing, will connect a number of cities in the province. The train will stop in Nanjing, Zhenjiang in Jurong, Changzhou in Jintan and Wujin, Wuxi in Huishan and Jiangyin, and Suzhou in Zhangjiagang, Taicang, and Changshu.

The Yan-Tai-Xi-Chang-Yi Railway will cross the Yangtze River and pass through Yancheng, Taizhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Yixing. The railway stretches 290 kilometers and trains will travel at an average speed of 250 km/h. This will allow passengers to travel directly from South to North Jiangsu without having to transfer in Shanghai.

An official of Jiangsu Transport Department has stated his excitement about the development of these new lines and the belief that they will relieve some of the pressure from the Shanghai to Nanjing line.

"Jiangyin in Wuxi is currently a well-developed industrial center without a railway station. The construction of a railway line will certainly change the situation of the city and make travel from Jiangyin to the surrounding cities far more convenient."