The first phase ofthe Tonghurailway — the Nantong-Shanghai railway — will open on July 1 with 46 bullet train round trips a day, the China Railway Shanghai Group announced on Tuesday.

There will also be six cargo train round trips a day.

The first phase of the railway project is theZhaodian-Huangdusection, over 137.5 kilometers and nine stations.

The new railway will start inJiangsu Province’s NantongCity and end inShanghai’s suburban JiadingDistrict. It cuts the travel time between Shanghai andNantongto just 90 minutes from four hours.

It crosses the Yangtze River, and has a designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

The railway will connect JiangsuandShandongprovinces viathe Yancheng-Nantongrailway, which is at present under construction, the Lianyungang-Yanchengrailway, the Nanjing-Qidongrailway andthe Xinyi-Changxing railway, and linkZhejiangProvince via the Shanghai-Kunminghigh-speed railway.

It will improve the rail network of the Yangtze River Delta, and is of major significance in promoting regional integration across the delta.

From July 1, 1,165 trains will run daily in the delta, 53 more than now.