(CFP Photo)

In pursuing high-quality development, Jiangsu has expanded effective investment in transportation infrastructure and reduced logistics cost in the first quarter of the year.

During the period, the province’s investment in roads, railways, waterways and airports was estimated to total more than 50 billion yuan, representing the highest level for the same period and accounting for about 23% of its annual planned investment.

Major freight indicators continued to show an expansion trend in the first three months. The province’s freight volume by roads, railways, waterways and air is estimated to reach 680 million tonnes, up 8.2% year-on-year, and the total freight turnover hit 310.2 billion tonne-kilometers, up 11.6% year-on-year. The province reported an anticipated 180 million passenger trips, a year-on-year growth of 16.2%.

Jiangsu’s ports achieved smooth operation during the period, completing cargo throughput of 820 million tonnes and handling 6.47 million TEUs, up 6.2% and 13.7%, respectively. Notably, the port of Suzhou and Lianyungang saw their foreign trade TEUs increased by 10.5% and 12.4%, respectively.

During the period, the province made strides in major transport constructions. For example, the main bridge of the Longtan Yangtze River Bridge was connected, and progress was achieved in projects, such as Phase II of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Railway and the Shangyuanmen River Crossing Channel for railway transport. The water transport construction also advanced, such as the start of a renovation at the Wuxi section of the Sunan Canal (Southern Jiangsu Section of the Grand Canal).

In March, the province’s airports operated 34 international (regional) passenger routes and 8 international cargo routes. Jiangsu also enhanced its international freight train services, opening the route to Baku, Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea, and welcoming the first returned freight train from Irkutsk, Russia to the province’s Xuzhou City.

In the first quarter, the province reported 652 freight train trips with Europe and Asia, a year-on-year increase of 24.9%. In terms of marine transport, Jiangsu has opened new foreign trade routes, including the routes from Nanjing to India, Lianyungang to Cambodia, and Jiangyin to Japan.

For the priorities ahead, Jiangsu will ensure an annual waterway construction investment of over 10 billion yuan, actively promote the smart transformation of highways, accelerate the development of freight hubs for intermodal transport, add new routes for the China-Europe (Asia) freight train services, and expediate the layout of overseas warehouses.

In addition, Jiangsu will promote the upgrade of transport vehicles, increase the use of new energy vehicles in the public sector, and encourage the renewal of ship and port equipment.