The Shanghai East Railway Station officially began its main construction on March 18 with the installation of the first steel column, marking a significant milestone in the development of the one-stop integrated transportation hub, according to official sources.

Known as the eastern hub, the project is scheduled to be operational in July 2027, offering seamless connections to high-speed rail, urban railway, metro lines, buses and the airport, according to Chen Weige, Party chief of the Shanghai East Railway Station's project management department under China Railway Shanghai Group Co.

Located about 5 kilometers from Terminal 1 of Shanghai Pudong International Airport in the city's Pudong New Area, the station will span a construction area of more than 1.3 million square meters. Its high-speed railway station building will cover 160,000 square meters and feature 15 platforms and 30 tracks.

"Once completed, the eastern hub will be an upgraded version of the existing Hongqiao transportation hub," Chen said at the groundbreaking ceremony on March 18.

Hongqiao hub, currently Shanghai's largest integrated transportation hub, handled 406.6 million passenger trips last year, with an average daily volume of 1.1 million trips, according to the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission.

Together, the two hubs will reinforce Shanghai's position as a world-class transportation center connecting the Yangtze River Delta region with global networks and further support the city's development into a modern, socialist international metropolis, officials said.

The project is being built by a consortium led by Shanghai Construction Group and China Railway 24th Bureau Group Corp.

"The construction will emphasize efficiency, safety and quality," said Zhang Chuan, vice-president of Eastern Hub Group.

Chen said, "We will adhere to the highest standards and best practices from previous projects to create a new benchmark for the modern era."

According to Chen, the project is progressing smoothly. So far, 85 percent of its underground engineering floor has been completed, while 55 percent of the ground-level structural plate has been built, meeting conditions to begin construction of the station building.

"We will strive for excellence in project quality, integrating digitalization and intelligent technologies into the design to create a high-quality landmark offering a premium travel experience," Chen said.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, approved the general plan for constructing the eastern hub international business cooperation zone in February last year.

To enhance Shanghai's role as a global business hub, the city plans to leverage institutional innovations from the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, improve international business connectivity, and better integrate domestic and international markets, the State Council said.

The Shanghai East Railway Station project will combine transportation functions, including aviation, national railway, urban railway and metro, to facilitate integration within the Yangtze River Delta. It will also support Pudong New Area's efforts to play a leading role in China's modernization drive and further Shanghai's development as a socialist modern international metropolis, according to the Shanghai municipal government.