The 318km-long Dazhou-Chengdu railway, the first express railway in southwest China, was put into operation on 7 July, reducing the train journey between Chongqing and Chengdu to two hours. The journey between Chengdu and Dazhou in northeast Sichuan province will be shortened from five hours to three hours 30 minutes, according to Chengdu Railways Bureau.

Elsewhere in the region, the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge project in Chongqing has been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission. When completed, the bridge will connect the districts of Nanan, Yuzhong, Jiangbei and Yubei. It will comprise an upper deck for car traffic and a lower deck for trains.