Upon completion, the high-speed rail journey from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Huzhou Station will be reduced from around two hours to about one hour.

The trial operations will continue for around a month, with the line expected to be ready for official operations by late December, according to China Railway Shanghai Group.

"The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed rail is a significant infrastructure interconnection project for Shanghai, Suzhou and Huzhou. It is also a key project for the Yangtze River Delta region's high-speed rail network integration, densification and enhancement," said Feng Chenglin, deputy head of the Shanghai railway hub project of China Railway Shanghai Group Co Ltd.