Track laying on the Shanghai-Nanjing Intercity Railway was completed on 17 March, according to Xinhua. The fine tuning and integration work to follow will last a few months, but officials are optimistic that the line will be ready for service by 1 July.

The 300km line is an important part of the Z-shaped Nanjing-Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo intercity rail project that links four of the most vibrant cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The Shanghai-Nanjing section, running parallel to the existing Shanghai-Nanjing line, will pass cities such as Suzhou, Wuxi and Zhenjiang and will have 21 stops. Construction started in July 2008 and, upon completion, the line will accommodate trains travelling at 350 kph. Its main function is to transport passengers; the existing line will in future be used for freight only.