SHANGHAI, CHINA: An 815 kilometer rail network will be built by 2020 to connect cities in the Yangtze River Delta area, it was revealed at "the Third China Urban Rail Transport International Summit" held in Shanghai on April 19.

The network, consisting of five rail lines, will shorten the ride between the area's three key transport hubs-- Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou-- and other cities down to two hours, according to the plan revealed at yesterday's meeting.

Over the next 15 years, the network, based on the two backbone lines Shanghai-Nanjing and Shanghai-Hangzhou, will reach most key cities in the Delta area.

The five lines are Nanjing-Zhenjiang-Wuxi-Suzhou-Shanghai (295 kilometers), Shanghai-Jiaxing-Hangzhou (160 kilometers), Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Ningbo (158 kilometers), Changzhou-Jiangyin-Changshu-Suzhou (124 kilometers) and Suzhou-Jiaxing (78 kilometers).

Upon completion, the network will provide a bus-like frequent rail service at speeds between 250 and 300 kilometers per hour and Shanghai to Nanjing will take only 80 minutes.

The two backbone lines of Shanghai-Nanjing and Shanghai-Hangzhou will lead the entire project to be completed in 2010.

Source: Eastday.com