On the morning of 11 January, 44 high speed trains originating from Shanghai Hongqiao and heading for Hefei, Anhui and Wuhan, Hubei, passed over Nanjing Dashengguan Yangtze Bridge, signalling the start of operation for the new railway bridge.

The bridge was planned in advance of the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed rail project, with construction starting in August 2006. Originally designed to alleviate pressure from the Nanjing No. l Yangtze Bridge, the bridge has six tracks and a span of 9,270 metres. It will carry trains running on the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed line, the Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu line and Nanjing underground railway.

According to plan, all trains will pass over the new bridge before reaching Nanjing South Railway Station, construction of which is nearing completion.