The Hongqiao Railway Station in the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub in Shanghai, which includes Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station, has become the largest integrated transportation hub in China and the busiest globally, receiving a total passenger flow of 422 million last year.
In 2025, Hongqiao International Airport's annual passenger volume exceeded 50 million for the first time.
The hub seamlessly integrates various modes of transportation, including air, rail, long-distance buses, suburban railways, metro lines, buses, and ride-hailing services.
It provides one-hour rail access to central Shanghai, two-hour high-speed rail connections to major cities in the Yangtze River Delta, and three-hour flights to major cities across China.
The high-speed rail network now connects in six directions, providing access to 25 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region within two hours. This covers 60 percent of the region's cities and 72 percent of its population. In 2024, Hongqiao Railway Station handled 155 million passengers, solidifying its role as the region's primary railway transport hub.
The Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway has further expanded the hub's rail connectivity, while an 85-kilometer expressway grid has strengthened regional links.
