(Photo credit: CCTV.com)

The new Shanghai-Nanjing high-speed railway running along the Yangtze River commenced trial operation on August 16 as the G55301 train left Nanjing South Railway Station for Taicang.

The trial operation period is slated to last for no less than one month and will include tests such as fault simulation and emergency rescue drills, before it gets fully ready to open in September.

Construction on the railway began in October 2018, and joint commissioning was launched on June 15 this year, with tests already performed under different speed levels. As of August 15, the railway had handled 898 testing trains that covered a total mileage of 33,309 kilometers and reached a maximum speed of 385 kilometers per hour.

Stretching 279 kilometers, the railway includes 8 stations in total and has a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour. As a crucial line in the Yangtze River Delta region's intercity rail transportation network, it will be of great significance to enhance the connection between southern Jiangsu and Shanghai.