When Suzhou's Metro Line 11 connects with Shanghai's Metro Line 11, people in Shanghai will be able to take the subway to Suzhou, which is in the nearby province of Jiangsu, while Suzhou residents will be able to go straight to Shanghai Disney Resort.
The Suzhou Metro Line 11 has 28 stops between Weiting in Suzhou Industrial Park and Huaqiao in Kunshan, a county-level city near Shanghai.
The section is in the final stages of construction and is scheduled to begin test run on March 1. Once put into operation, it is expected to make the commute between the two cities easier.
Passengers can change to the Shanghai Line 11 at the Huaqiao station, which is the Shanghai Line 11 terminal. The line ends at the Shanghai Disney Resort.
The Shanghai Metro Line 11 commenced service at the end of 2009 and expanded to Huaqiao in Kunshan in 2013.
The Suzhou Line 11 will intersect with the Suzhou Metro Line 3, which runs across the city.
According to the Suzhou government's plan, the 41.25-kilometer line will feature four or six carriages with a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The majority of Shanghai's Metro trains travel at an average speed of 80km per hour.
The route will also pass by Yangcheng Lake, known for its hairy crabs.
"It will be fun to savor hairy crabs from the subway," a netizen wrote.
Another netizen noted that "going to Suzhou and downtown Kunshan in the future will be really convenient!"
"Line 11 is a good option for those who enjoy travelling."
An increasing number of inter-city rail projects within the Yangtze River Delta region are underway. Shanghai is a focal point for the region.
More railway stations are included in the blueprint, which is projected to boost integrated regional development.
Shanghai East Railway Station, which will come up near Shanghai Pudong International Airport, will be close to Shanghai Disneyland Resort.
The station will link up with another transit hub, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, and will pass through the Pudong New Area, Xuhui, and Minhang districts. Disneyland will be one of the stops on the route.
On the western side, the Songjiang Railway Station, which is under renovation, will be one of the stops on the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou railway line, which, along with the Shanghai-Hangzhou, Nanning-Hangzhou, and Huzhou-Hangzhou railways, is expected to become an important channel connecting key cities in the Yangtze River Delta.
The Shanghai-Nanjing-Hefei portion of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Sichuan high-speed railway is also under development. It will run along the Yangtze River and connect 16 stations in Shanghai, as well as Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.