It is reported that a key express railway project linking Beijing to Shanghai took a major step forward yesterday when workers finished the steel structure of a railway station in west Shanghai's Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub.

The builders estimated in August that the structure would be finished by the end of September, more than a month ahead of schedule. But Shanghai Railway Bureau publicity official Mr Tao Liping said "The project has not been delayed. The construction is right on schedule."

Authorities said the interior decoration starts today in Hongqiao Railway Station which is expected to be operational by next July.

Nearly 80,000 tons of steel almost double that used in the Beijing National Stadium, the bird nest have been used in the 240,000 square meter station making it the biggest in the city.

The station, the Shanghai end of the rail link, is designed to carry 52.72 million passengers each year after completion. The volume will increase to 78.38 million in the long term.

(Sourced from www.shanghaidaily.com)