(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-22 11:53

NANJING -- Work will start soon on a high-speed inter-city passenger rail link between Nanjing and Shanghai, railway officials announced on Thursday.

The feasibility report for the project, estimated to cost 42.2 billion yuan (about 5.78 billion US dollars), has been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, and ground-breaking will occur in the first half of the year, said Zhang Xiaoling, deputy chief with Jiangsu Provincial Office of Railways.

The investment will be borne by the Ministry of Railways, Jiangsu and Shanghai, said Zhang, who declined to provide further details.

The new railway will have a length of 300 kilometers, of which 269 km will be inside Jiangsu Province. The dual-track railroad will take four years to complete and will be able to accommodate trains traveling at 200 km to 250 km per hour.

The line will cut the trip between the two cities from two hours at present to one and a half hours.