Sichuan is considered to be the most developed province in Southwest China and has the largest GDP within the country. (Photo : REUTERS)

Feasibility studies have been conducted to assess the possibility of linking 22 cities in China’s eastern, central and southwestern regions with a railway system that would reduce the current 15-hour travel time by six hours.



The proposed project is expected to cover 1,985 kilometers, traversing Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan, Chongqing and finally Chengdu at 350 km/h, according to a report by China Daily.




"Passengers from Shanghai will arrive in Chengdu within nine hours upon completion of the railway," said Peng Qiyuan, dean of the School of Traffic at Jiaotong University.



As it stands today, the majority of the current railway line is limited to a speed of 100-200 km/h, while the track between Chengdu and Chongqing is designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h.



Sichuan, where a total of of 90 million people reside in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, is considered to be the most developed province in Southwest China and has the largest GDP within the country. Officials expect the new railway to spread such economic development throughout the other regions.



"People in Southwest China will have more contact with the more developed central and eastern parts of the country, and abundant resources from the southwest will be transported to central and eastern areas faster," said Peng.



The Yangtze River Delta generates as much as 20 percent of the country's GDP.



The State Council announced last month that new guidelines will be implemented in order to bolster the development of the Yangtze Economic Zone and expedite the construction of the high-speed rail system.

