The first steel anchor beam is laid on a new high-speed railway line.

The first steel anchor beam of a high-speed railway connecting Shanghai with Suzhou in Jiangsu Province and Huzhou in Zhejiang Province has been successfully hoisted and laid, indicating the project's construction has entered a new phase, China Railway Shanghai Group officials announced on Friday.

The 115-ton beam was installed in Huzhouon Thursday in very cold and windy conditions.

Trains reaching speeds of 350 kilometers per hour will run along the 163.8-kilometer line and pass through seven stations — Shanghai Hongqiao, Songjiang South, Fenhu, Shengze, Nanxun, Huzhou East and Huzhou.

It will connect with other key high-speed lines, such as the Nanjing-Hangzhou, Huzhou-Hangzhou and Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou routes as part of the Yangtze River Delta network.

The line connects with a number of tourist attractions, including Taihu Lake national scenic area, Sheshan National Forest Park and Shengze Wetland Park, as well as water towns such as Zhujiajiao, Liantang, Jinze, Lili, Nanxun and Zhenze.

The project, which began in June, is expected to take four years to complete.