This year marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. In the Yangtze River Delta, one of China's most economically dynamic, open, and innovative regions, the railway sector continues to focus on network connectivity, network enhancement, and capacity building. New railway lines are being advanced with high quality, with an expected investment of over 130 billion yuan, marking the seventh consecutive year that annual investment has exceeded 100 billion yuan.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the "Railway in the Yangtze River Delta" continued to generate new development momentum, with a cumulative railway construction investment exceeding 640 billion yuan, new lines totaling over 2,600 kilometers put into operation, and 21 key projects launched. By the end of 2025, the railway operating mileage had exceeded 15,400 kilometers, of which the high-speed railway mileage surpassed 8,100 kilometers, significantly improving the scale and quality of the rail network.

As a key part of the Yangtze River Delta, Anhui has made remarkable achievements in high-speed railway construction. The province's high-speed railway operating mileage reached 2,971 kilometers, ranking third nationwide and first in the Yangtze River Delta. High-speed rail in Anhui has now covered all 16 cities and 39 counties in the province.

The construction of the "Railway in the Yangtze River Delta" is not only growing in quantity but also improving in quality, opening up new scenarios for the cultivation and application of new quality productive forces.

Intelligent construction has become an engine for upgrading. Lifecycle management based on BIM technology is widely applied in large hubs such as Shanghaidong Railway Station and Nanjingbei Railway Station. The AI shield tunneling large model developed for the Qiantang River Tunnel of the Hangzhou Airport High-Speed Railway can predict complex geological risks. The smart construction site system has been comprehensively upgraded, enabling collaborative online and offline management and control for projects such as the Yiwu Elevated Station Building. 

The successive implementation of major projects continues to reshape the regional economic geography, with the "same-city" effect becoming increasingly evident. Railway construction in the Yangtze River Delta is not only a transportation project for people's livelihoods but also an economic engine activating regional integrated development.

The flow of people and production factors has become increasingly efficient. In 2025, the annual passenger volume of railways in the Yangtze River Delta exceeded 900 million, reaching a record high in annual passenger traffic. The "1-to-3-hour life circle" highlights the "same-city effect," with circular trains centered around Hefei closely connecting the Wanjiang City Belt with southern Anhui, fostering unprecedented close ties between neighboring cities.

With the continuous progress in network connectivity, network enhancement, and capacity building, the "Railway in the Yangtze River Delta" will further unleash new development momentum, empowering the integrated, high-quality development of Yangtze River Delta to ride the waves and advance steadily toward long-term success.

Source: Anhui Daily