NANJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new high-speed railway line was put into operation Wednesday in east China's Jiangsu Province, further boosting the railway interconnectivity in the Yangtze River Delta.

The 158-km line connecting the cities of Yancheng and Nantong is the first high-speed railway line with a designed speed of 350 km per hour in northern Jiangsu, according to China Railway Shanghai Group Co., Ltd.

Six pairs of trains are currently in operation, which will be increased to a daily maximum of 47 pairs from late January next year.

The opening of the line allows for high-speed train travel between Yancheng and Shanghai. The fastest train can complete the journey between the two cities in two hours and seven minutes.

The Yancheng-Nantong line is an important part of China's high-speed railway network, and will help promote the development and regional integration of the Yangtze River Delta consisting of Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Last year, China unveiled an outline for the regional integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, which is one of the country's most economically active, open and innovative regions, and produces about one-fourth of the national GDP.