Recently, the Sichuan Provincial Public Resource Trading Information Network officially released the bidding announcement for the survey and design of the newly-built Mianyang Suining Ziyang Neijiang section of the Mianyang Suining Neijiang railway, marking a key breakthrough in the preliminary work of the Sichuan China high-speed railway artery with a total investment of 20.5 billion yuan. The project has officially entered the countdown to substantive construction. As a key project in the national medium and long-term railway network planning, the promotion of this line will inject strong transportation momentum into the construction of the Chengdu Chongqing dual city economic circle, completely reshaping the transportation and economic development pattern of the central Sichuan region.

The line runs north-south and covers the areas of Suining City, Ziyang City, and Neijiang City. It starts from the southern end of the under construction Suining High tech Station in the north, passes through Anyue County in Ziyang in the south, and ends at the existing Neijiang North Station of the Neizilu High speed Railway. The total length of the newly built main line is 107.786 kilometers. The project adopts a "new construction+reuse" station layout, with a new Anju Station built to connect the under construction Anyue Station on the Chengdu Chongqing Central Line with the already operational Neijiang North Station, achieving seamless transfer in the regional high-speed rail network. The supporting projects will be planned and constructed simultaneously, including the construction of the Neijiang North storage yard, 3.774 kilometers of dynamic tracks (left track), 3.959 kilometers of dynamic tracks (right track) reserved, and the construction of the 6.969 kilometers Neijiang Wanzhou connecting line (converted), comprehensively building a fully functional railway transportation system. In terms of technical standards, the line is constructed as a high-speed railway, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour and a double track design. All indicators strictly follow the "High speed Railway Design Specification", which can fully adapt to the terrain conditions in central Sichuan and ensure the safe and efficient operation of trains.

From the perspective of regional coordinated development, this project echoes the already started construction of the Mianyang Suining section. Currently, key control projects such as the Longhuai Temple Bridge in the Mianyang Suining section have achieved pier topping out and are planned to be completed and opened to traffic in 2028, while the Suining Neijiang section is planned to start construction in 2026. After the full line is completed, the Mianyang Suining Railway will connect 5 cities and 11 districts, ending the half century long history of "no inch of railway" in Santai County and Shehong City, benefiting 2 million people along the line. From the perspective of economic value, the route will strengthen the efficient linkage between the three major economic zones of Chengdu Plain, southern Sichuan, and northeastern Sichuan, reducing the travel time from Suining to Mianyang and Neijiang to half an hour. The counties along the route will fully integrate into the Chengdu Chongqing "1-hour economic circle", helping to connect agricultural products, cultural and tourism resources with the market, and accelerating the aggregation of production factors such as capital and technology. At the strategic level, the project connects multiple main lines such as the Xicheng Passenger Dedicated Line and the Chengdu Guiyang Railway, building a strategic corridor that connects the northwest, southwest, southern, and eastern regions, enhancing Sichuan's pivotal role in the Western Land Sea New Corridor.

As an important component of the rail transit network in the Chengdu Chongqing Economic Circle, the launch of the survey and design bidding for the Suining Neijiang Railway marks a critical stage in the construction of the "golden artery" in central Sichuan. Next, as the survey and design work progresses, the project will gradually enter the construction phase. This high-speed railway line, which integrates livelihood road, economic road, and strategic road, will not only greatly improve the comprehensive transportation efficiency of the region in the future, but also activate the economic development potential of central Sichuan, provide solid support for rural revitalization and regional coordinated development, and help the construction of the Chengdu Chongqing dual city economic circle move towards a higher quality development stage.Editor/Bian Wenjun