SHANGHAI -- A newly constructed high-speed railway began operations on Thursday, enhancing the rail network connecting major cities in East China's Yangtze River Delta region, a key economic powerhouse of the country.

With a designed speed of 350 km per hour and eight stations, the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway spanning 164 km links Shanghai Hongqiao Station with Suzhou city in Jiangsu province and Huzhou city in Zhejiang province.

"This is the first high-speed railway connecting the three major economic hubs of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta," said Chen Guoquan, from the China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd, the railway project designer.

With the new railway, the operating length of the railway network in the Yangtze River Delta region has surpassed 15,000 km, nearly half of which is high-speed rail.

"Before this new train service, the journey between Huzhou and Shanghai took about two hours. Now, it only takes 43 minutes," said Lou Li from Shanghai, who traveled with her family to spend a vacation in Nanxun, a historic town and popular attraction in Huzhou.

Kang Aiqi, general manager of a new materials technology company based in Suzhou, said he had been eagerly awaiting the opening of the high-speed railway. "The railway will greatly ease travel for businesspeople in the delta region."

Along the railway, high-end industries are expected to cluster, further accelerating the high-quality development of the economic belt, according to Zhang Zhipeng, associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.