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A schematic of the Yangkou Port-Lyusi Port railway line, linking the facilities in the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area. [Photo/WeChat account: wxntfb]

The groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Yangkou Port-Lyusi Port railway, linking the two facilities in the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area – in Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – was held on May 18.

It took place at Dongzao Port Station, one of the stations of the railway line.

A maritime traffic management center and a port and shipping control center for the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area, as well as Jiangsu Yuntong Port Logistics Development Co Ltd, were inaugurated at the ceremony.

Wang Hui, mayor of Nantong, delivered a keynote speech in which he stated that the development of the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area had achieved great progress since it had started last year.

The groundbreaking of the Yangkou Port-Lyusi Port railway and the inauguration of the two centers and the logistics development firm marked a big step towards building an integrated river-sea  transport system in the city, Wang added.

The railway is not only regarded as a significant part of the development of a distribution system in the Tongzhou Bay demonstration area, but is also seen as being key in the passage from Sanmenxia in Central China's Henan province to Jiangsu's coastal ports.

Being funded by Nantong Coastal Development Co Ltd at a cost of nearly 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion), it is reported that when complete, the 85-kilometer railway will be used for freight in the near future and will transport passengers further down the track.