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recently, the yantai-xinji-changyi railway (hereinafter referred to as the "yan-yi high-speed railway"), known as the "central axis" of the yangtze river delta, has ushered in key progress.

on september 27, the jiangsu provincial department of ecology and environment issued the "reply on the environmental impact report for the new yancheng-yixing railway jingjiang station to jiangyin station via taizhou, wuxi, changzhou and yixing railways." it is worth noting that the environmental impact report of the railway project (excluding the river-crossing section) had been approved in november 2022. at this point, the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment reports for the entire yanyi high-speed ​​railway have successfully completed the approval process, and the countdown to the start of the project has begun.

in fact, as early as 2014, the "thai-siyi-yi intercity railway planning research" passed the review of the jiangsu provincial expert group. at the end of 2018, the national development and reform commission approved the "intercity railway construction plan for urban groups along the river in jiangsu province (2019-2025)", and the yanyi high-speed railway was listed as one of the key projects. however, due to various reasons, construction of this railway has been delayed.

however, the jiangsu provincial government recently made it clear in a press conference that it will actively promote the early start of the yanyi high-speed railway. earlier, wu yonghong, director of the jiangsu provincial department of transportation, also stated that the yanyi high-speed railway will ensure that it will start construction within the year. various circumstances indicate that the project is about to enter the substantive construction stage.

the yan-yi high-speed railway project generally runs in a north-south direction, starting from yancheng city in the north and connecting to taizhou city in the middle. after crossing the yangtze river in the form of a tunnel, it passes through wuxi city, changzhou city, and finally ends in yixing. the main line of the entire line is about 311 kilometers long, with a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour and a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour in the river crossing section.

schematic diagram of the horizontal and vertical section of the newly built yancheng railway line via taizhou, wuxi, changzhou and yixing. picture/railway construction planning

there are 11 stations on the entire line. yancheng station and yixing station are existing connecting stations. xinghua east, taizhou south, taixing east, jingjiang east, jiangyin, huishan, taihu west and qianhuang station are proposed new stations. yixing west station to reserve the station, the total project duration is four years.

zeng gang, dean of the urban development research institute of east china normal university, said in an interview with china news weekly that the yanyi high-speed railway is a rapid passenger transportation channel that connects north and south jiangsu and runs through southeastern shandong, northern jiangsu, central jiangsu, southern jiangsu and zhejiang.

he said that the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway will not only fill the gap in high-speed railways in central and southern jiangsu, but also promote the effective connection and coordination between various transportation modes, and promote the formation of a modernization system with high-speed rail as the core and the common development of multiple transportation modes. the comprehensive transportation system is expected to significantly improve the transportation convenience between jiangsu and zhejiang and other surrounding provinces.

the "central axis" of the yangtze river delta

for a long time, affected by factors such as location and resources, the economic and social development of southern jiangsu, central jiangsu and northern jiangsu has shown different characteristics.

data from the article "seizing opportunities to promote cross-river integrated development of taizhou and changzhou" published by the official website of taizhou social science network shows that from 2020 to 2022, the gdp of the southern jiangsu plate region was 5,938.4 billion yuan, 6,664.8 billion yuan and 7,028.4 billion yuan respectively. , accounting for 56.76%, 56.90% and 56.88% of the province's gdp respectively; the gdp of the central jiangsu plate was 2,139.7 billion yuan, 2,374.9 billion yuan and 2,488.7 billion yuan respectively, accounting for 10% of the province's gdp. the proportions were 20.45%, 20.28% and 20.14% respectively; the gdp of the north jiangsu plate was 2383.8 billion yuan, 2673.2 billion yuan and 2839.7 billion yuan respectively, accounting for 22.79%, 22.82% and 22.82% of the province's gdp respectively. 22.98%.

it can be seen from the data that the gdp of southern jiangsu continues to account for more than half of the province's share. although central and northern jiangsu have increased, their proportion in the province is still relatively low, highlighting the lack of regional development in jiangsu. balance, especially the urgent need to rise in the central and northern regions.

therefore, the central axis area of ​​jiangsu, located at the junction of the shanghai metropolitan area and the nanjing metropolitan area, faces the urgent need to solve the "central collapse" phenomenon and promote balanced regional development.

in fact, as early as the two sessions of jiangsu province in 2020, many members of the cppcc suggested promoting the integrated development of xi, changtai and changzhou to enhance the development level of the central axis area.

later, at the press conference of the jiangsu provincial people's government information office held in august 2023, the then deputy director of the jiangsu provincial development and reform commission gao qing made it clear that he would study and plan the development of the xichangtai jiangsu central axis and strive to promote cross-river integration.

however, in the view of many industry insiders, the development of jiangsu's central axis still faces multiple challenges, including insufficient infrastructure construction such as high-speed rail and cross-river channels, as well as the lack of a coordinated development mechanism between xi, changtai and taizhou.

as we all know, transportation, as a key link in economic and social development, plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the flow of resources, talents and factors. in this context, the yan-yi high-speed railway, as an important transportation project running through yancheng, taizhou, wuxi, changzhou and other cities, is of great significance for accelerating the cross-river integration of xi, chang, and taizhou and promoting the rise of jiangsu's central axis.

the yanyi high-speed railway will form a third channel connecting the north and south of jiangsu in addition to the huaizhen section of the lianyungang high-speed railway (connecting lianyungang city and zhenjiang city) and the yantong high-speed railway (connecting yancheng city and nantong city). because it is located in the middle of the first two railways, it is also called the "central axis" of jiangsu high-speed railway.

zeng gang pointed out that the yangtze river delta is one of the regions with the most active economy, the highest degree of openness and the strongest innovation capabilities in my country, and is also one of the regions with the highest high-speed rail operation efficiency. the yanyi high-speed railway can closely connect cities along the line, break the previous geographical and spatial barriers, accelerate the flow of production factors and adjust the industrial layout, and will have important positive significance in promoting balanced development of regional economy.

jin tianlin, associate researcher at the institute of land development and regional economics of the china academy of macroeconomics, said in an interview with china news weekly that compared with the existing lianchen-zhen railway with a speed of only 250 kilometers per hour and the yantong high-speed railway with a speed of 250-350 kilometers per hour, with a design speed of 350 km/h and a design speed of 250 km/h on the river-crossing section, the yanyi high-speed ​​railway will become a veritable express passenger transportation channel running through the north and south of jiangsu.

he pointed out that the lianzhen railway is centered in the north and gradually moves west towards nanjing, connecting to the transportation network centered on nanjing. the yantong railway is to shorten the spatial distance between coastal cities in jiangsu and connect to shanghai. central transportation network. in contrast, the yancheng-yizhou high-speed ​​railway starts from yancheng in the north and ends at yixing in the south, passing through taizhou, wuxi, changzhou and other places. in comparison, it passes through more cities and has a wider radiation range. it will have a greater economic stimulus effect on the areas along the line and is expected to connecting northern jiangsu, central jiangsu and southern jiangsu, it has become an important industrial corridor in jiangsu province and even the entire yangtze river delta region.

jin tianlin believes that after the yanyi high-speed railway is completed, the northern jiangsu region can more conveniently undertake the transfer of industries from southern jiangsu, shanghai and other regions, and improve its own industrial structure. at the same time, the yanyi high-speed railway can also promote the industrial upgrading and transformation of cities along the line, providing strong support for the development of high-tech industries and modern service industries.

it is worth noting that as an important passage running through the north and south of jiangsu, the yanyi high-speed railway, together with the xusu-huaiyan railway, shanghai-nanjing intercity railway and other lines, will form a rapid passenger transport network interconnected within jiangsu province and with surrounding provinces. it will be built in southern jiangsu. a "2-hour rapid transportation circle" will be built between the cities in jiangsu, northern jiangsu, and central jiangsu to further improve the layout of the national high-speed railway network and enhance the level of regional transportation infrastructure.

according to the plan, in the future, the yan-yi high-speed railway will be further extended south to huzhou (i.e., the yi-hu railway), and then connected in series with the hu-hangzhou-hangzhou-wenzhou high-speed railway "central axis" in zhejiang, becoming the first line that truly connects southern zhejiang and the "central axis" of the yangtze river delta high-speed railway in central zhejiang, northern zhejiang, southern jiangsu, central jiangsu and northern jiangsu will completely open up the straight-line channel between zhejiang and central and northern jiangsu, further promote the accelerated construction of the "yangtze river delta on track", and play a vital role in promoting the yangtze river delta the development of regional economic integration is of great significance.

who is the "biggest winner"

in the context of the integrated development of the yangtze river delta region and the integrated development of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas, although jiangsu province’s “14th five-year plan” clearly supports taizhou’s participation in the joint construction of the suzhou-wuxi-changzhou metropolitan area, the shanghai metropolitan area also regards taizhou as a coordinator the district has been included in spatial planning research, but taizhou has not been substantively integrated into the regional “circle of friends” confirmed at the provincial level or above.

at the same time, in recent years, jiangsu's high-speed rail construction has advanced by leaps and bounds. the high-speed rail mileage has exceeded 2,500 kilometers, ranking among the top three in the country. the high-speed rail area density is 237 kilometers per 10,000 square kilometers, ranking first among all provinces. however, taizhou, located in the geographical center of jiangsu, has so far there is no high-speed rail yet, and it is nicknamed a "high-speed rail city" by the outside world.

therefore, in the view of many interviewees, taizhou's accelerated cross-river integration with wuxi and changzhou is an inevitable choice to transform jiangsu's location advantages into development advantages.

jin tianlin pointed out that taizhou is currently in a critical period of transition between old and new driving forces. the industrial economy is moving forward under pressure, and traditional industries are under great pressure to transform and upgrade. due to the lack of access to high-speed rail, taizhou’s external transportation and exchanges are inconvenient, which has restricted taizhou’s industrial transformation. upgrade and develop.

he believes that the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway will greatly alleviate the bottleneck of taizhou’s external exchanges, accelerate cross-river integration with wuxi and changzhou, and transform the location advantage in central jiangsu into development advantages. taizhou’s comprehensive health industry and offshore engineering equipment leading industries such as the high-tech shipbuilding industry, chemical industry and new materials industry, auto parts and precision manufacturing industries will be significantly strengthened, and modern service industries such as technological innovation, modern logistics, software information, commercial circulation, and financial services will drive taizhou's economy forward again. new level.

taizhou city. picture/picture insect creativity

zeng gang also said that taizhou will be the biggest beneficiary after the opening of the yanyi high-speed railway. he said that the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway will solve to a certain extent the "old" problem of poor high-quality transportation connections between various regions in taizhou and between taizhou and other cities. taizhou will attract more investment and tourists, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with cities such as wuxi and suzhou in emerging industries such as biomedicine, artificial intelligence, and new energy vehicles, and guide more talents, capital, and technology to the core areas of the yangtze river delta such as shanghai. flow into taizhou, thereby promoting local economic development and industrial upgrading.

zeng gang reminded that in order to achieve a balance between economic benefits and social benefits, the construction of yanyi high-speed railway needs to make a "seamless" connection between various transportation modes. he suggested that we should take advantage of the opportunity of the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway to greatly optimize the regional transportation system; at the same time, we should make a good connection between the yanyi high-speed railway and the overall development planning and industrial layout planning of the cities along the line, and promote the two-way rush between the high-speed rail and urban development. build a wealthy corridor for high-speed rail; in addition, we should further reform and optimize the high-speed rail operating system and mechanism, expand and enrich high-speed rail service content, and significantly increase high-speed rail revenue.

jin tianlin also pointed out that if node cities located on high-speed rail lines want to make full use of their high-speed rail resource advantages and avoid being "siphoned" by high-level cities on the line, they must first work hard on their "internal strength" and promptly promote industrial upgrading and the development and cultivation of pillar industries. identify its own characteristics and occupy its own position in the regional division of labor; secondly, it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of urban infrastructure and public service levels, strengthen the business environment construction, and continuously enhance the city's attractiveness; at the same time, it is also necessary to create a high level of modernization industrial platform, cultivate and develop emerging industries and modern service industries, and lead the transformation and upgrading of regional industries.

it is worth noting that with the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway, taizhou’s cultural tourism industry construction will also usher in new development opportunities.

wang xiaoyu, a distinguished expert from the world tourism cities federation, mentioned in an interview with china news weekly that taizhou’s per capita gdp has exceeded 20,000 us dollars, reaching the level of developed countries. however, compared with the mature themed leisure vacation market and product supply in developed countries, taizhou’s current the cultural tourism market is mainly focused on tourism products and fragmented leisure and entertainment. for example, jiangyan qinhu tourist area, the only 5a-level scenic spot in taizhou, is a sightseeing area and lacks high-quality themed leisure and vacation products.

jiangyan qinhu national wetland park. picture/picture insect creativity

wang xiaoyu said that due to the lack of high-speed rail, shanghai, suzhou, wuxi, changzhou and other tourist source cities did not regard taizhou as the first tourist destination. however, with the construction of the yanyi high-speed railway, it will provide a new destination choice for the tourist source markets around shanghai and jiangsu, making it possible to travel for a weekend one-day leisure trip or even a few-day holiday trip from shanghai to taizhou or from suzhou, wuxi and changzhou.

however, he also reminded that convenient transportation is only a necessary condition for cultural tourism consumption. the core is the thematic appeal of the product and local service capabilities. if the product is not attractive, taizhou may become a "rapid transit hub" that transits without stopping.

wang xiaoyu pointed out that currently, in response to the diversified, segmented, themed leisure vacation and themed entertainment needs of first-tier and new first-tier consumer groups in shanghai, suzhou, wuxi and changzhou, taizhou’s cultural tourism products urgently need to be optimized in terms of functional quality improvement and experience content refinement. on the one hand, we will improve the safety, sanitation, convenience and cost-effectiveness of basic transportation, accommodation, catering, commerce, and scenic spots; on the other hand, we will work hard on the "+ cultural tourism" aspect of experience content.

"take 'catering + cultural tourism' as an example. taizhou's morning tea is very famous. how to refine the cultural connotation and create a more tasteful and story-telling morning tea consumption scene is a big challenge." wang xiaoyu said.

author: chen shulian

editor: sun xiaobo