A preliminary design examination meeting for the Shanghai-Nantong railway was held on April 23, starting the countdown for construction of the first railway to Zhangjiagang city.

Zhangjiagang Mayor Yao Linrong said at the meeting that the city, though boasting a golden water channel on the Yangtze River and convenient road transportation network, lacks the railway support necessary for further development.

The meeting marks the start of the third stage of the railway project, when detailed technological standards for the railway construction need to be defined. Next, construction designs will be finished. Construction will start later.

The railway has two stops in Zhangjiagang, one for passenger transport and another for cargo transport. It will shorten travel time from Zhangjiagang to Shanghai to only half an hour.

It will take 66 months to finish the 137.28-kilometer rail line. The railway has a designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour.