The Suzhou East Tunnel, a high-speed railway project in East China, began shield tunneling on Thursday, marking a milestone in the construction of the longest urban high-speed railway tunnel in the country, according to the China Railway's 14th Bureau Group, which is handling the tunnel's construction.

The tunnel is located in Suzhou of Jiangsu province. Upon completion, it will extend to 15.57 kilometers with the designed speed of 350 km/h. It is the highest standard and longest urban high-speed railway tunnel under construction in China.

The tunnel is a control project of a railway linking Nantong in Jiangsu and Ningbo in Zhejiang, an important part of the coastal corridor of China's high-speed railway network. Upon completion, the new line will link with several operational high-speed railways including the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway and the Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway. It will further improve the railway network in the Yangtze River Delta region, playing a crucial role in promoting the high-quality integrated development of the area.

This significant progress in the construction of the Suzhou East Tunnel marks a remarkable step forward in the development of China's high-speed railway network and urban infrastructure, underscoring the country's commitment to advancing transportation connectivity and infrastructure development.