Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officially issued The Multi-Level Rail Transit Plan for the Yangtze River Delta, in which the construction of the Xinyi-Huai'an Railway and the expansion and renovation of the Xinyi-Changxing Railway have been included in the planning of railway projects during the 14th Five-Year Plan. The Xinyi-Huai'an Railway, from Xinyi via Shuyang to Huai'an, is 131 km long with an estimated investment of 22.2 billion RMB. The above construction involving Huai'an are mainline railway projects which rely on national railways and will mainly serve long- and medium-distance passenger and cargo transport, taking into account intercity functions. It is projected that Huai'an will become a high-speed rail hub city and a national railway trunk city.
According to the Plan, by 2025, the Yangtze River Delta region will be basically built as the delta on rails, forming a multi-level, well-connected and high-quality rail transportation system of trunk railways, intercity railways, municipal (suburban) railways and urban rail transports. In addition, the Delta will become a demonstration and leading area for the in-depth integration and development of multi-level rail transportation, effectively supporting both the infrastructure interconnection and the regional integrated development.
