Xinzhuang Railway Station began operating in Shanghai on Sunday, further integrating the metropolis in East China into the Yangtze River Delta region's transportation network.

"The station is connected with buses, metro lines and regular railways, further enhancing Shanghai's transportation network and providing passengers with highly efficient and convenient services," said Shen Lei, head of Xinzhuang Railway Station.

"As part of the integrated transportation system of Shanghai and the broader Yangtze River Delta region, the new station lays a solid foundation for the region's integrated development," Shen added.

Located in Minhang district in the southwest of the city, the station serves trains on the Shanghai Jinshan urban line, and connects with metro lines 1 and 5.

"The new station has significantly improved transportation connectivity in Shanghai's southern area and provided strong support for the city's urban transportation," said Yu Yongle, deputy director of the Minhang District Transportation Commission, as quoted by ThePaper.cn.

"The opening of the station allows more residents to enjoy efficient and convenient railway services," Yu said.

Shen said, "It takes just two to three minutes for passengers to transfer from the metro to the railway station, with clear signs directing them along the 200-meter route."

The station has service counters for ticket purchasing, recharging transportation cards, business inquiries and emergency assistance.

The station eliminates the need for many passengers to travel to Shanghai South Railway Station.

"I've lived in this neighborhood for over two decades, and this is my first trip to Jinshan district," said a resident surnamed Zhou, who took the S1605 train to Jinshanwei Railway Station at 9:32 am on Sunday. "I've been following the development of the new station closely and decided to take the train on its opening day."

Zhou said some of her former colleagues who lived in Jinshan would only return home on weekends due to the inconvenient transportation in the area, but the connection has reduced her travel time to Jinshan to just an hour.

After nearly six months of upgrade and renovation, the Shanghai South Railway Station celebrated the departure of its first high-speed railway train on Sunday morning, according to the local official Jiefang Daily.

The upgrade work, which began on July 1, aimed to increase the station's capacity for handling high-speed trains, according to the local railway administration.

Located in Xuhui district also in the southwest of Shanghai, the station was put into operation on July 1, 2006. It was the world's first railway station designed with a translucent dome. The station is closely connected with metro lines 1, 3 and 15, as well as the Shanghai South Long-Distance Bus Station, making it an important gateway for the city's south.

The renovation project at the UFO-shaped station involved replacing more than 60,000 square meters of polycarbonate roof panels, according to Zhao Yongcun, project manager of China Railway Construction Engineering Group.

With the addition of a 2,500-sq-m waiting area, the renovated Shanghai South Railway Station can now accommodate up to 9,000 people at once.