Suzhou has added another urban terminal facility, this time at the city's central railway station, expanding the services of Wuxi Shuofang Airport deeper into the city center.

A strategic cooperation signing ceremony between Suzhou City Construction Investment Development (Group) Co., Ltd. and Wuxi Sunan International Airport Group Co., Ltd. was held in Suzhou on Tuesday, August 13. A key outcome of this partnership is the new Suzhou Railway Station Urban Terminal.

Over the past few years, the connection between the Suzhou city area and Shuofang Airport has been continuously upgraded. In 2023, the Suzhou High-tech Zone Urban Terminal was officially inaugurated, with a dedicated shuttle bus taking approximately 40 minutes from the terminal to the airport. Following the opening of the Xinwu section expressway on National Highway 312, the travel time from Suzhou's Central Ring North Line to Shuofang Airport has been reduced to just 15 minutes.

The newly added Suzhou Railway Station Urban Terminal is strategically located in Building B of the City Investment Business Center at the Suzhou Railway Station itself, recognizing it as a core transportation hub. This means the service network of Shuofang Airport will extend from areas like the Suzhou High-tech Zone and Suzhou Industrial Park further into the central city district, integrating with the major transportation hub that brings together railway, subway, and bus services.

This shift in location leads to an extended service radius and an upgraded travel experience. Once the terminal at the Suzhou Railway Station area is operational, citizens arriving by high-speed rail, subway, city bus, or taxi will have more convenient access to Shuofang Airport's aviation services, leveraging the existing passenger distribution capacity of the station itself. The project fully utilizes the established luggage check-in and air-ground intermodal transport systems of the existing terminal, supported by the reservation and charter services of the affiliated Suzhou Automobile Group (SUJI), to achieve seamless connectivity.

This new terminal will be developed into a "multifunctional urban living room" that integrates aviation services, brand showcases, and business services. It is expected to effectively enhance the hub capacity of Suzhou Railway Station and inject new momentum into the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Beyond the joint construction of the Suzhou Railway Station Urban Terminal, both parties have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering green and low-carbon development, commercial and industrial resource coordination, the establishment of an airport-adjacent industry fund, and regular talent exchange. This marks a new chapter in deepening collaboration between state-owned enterprises in Suzhou and Wuxi to jointly promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

Green Energy: Both parties will leverage Suzhou City Investment's experience in green energy and environmental protection operations to advance pilot smart green energy projects, exploring the application of new energy technologies like photovoltaics in airport-adjacent areas to support the airport's green and low-carbon transition.

Commercial and Industrial Resources: Both parties will collaborate around the Shuofang Airport terminal, the urban terminal, and the "Xinsuo" industrial park to jointly introduce high-quality resources, including well-known brands from Suzhou and Wuxi, high-end retail, cultural tourism experiences, advanced manufacturing, and R&D headquarters, thereby broadening investment channels and market influence.

Industry Fund: Both parties will jointly explore the establishment of an industrial investment fund, with a primary focus on core industries such as the low-altitude economy, aviation logistics, green energy, nuclear medicine, high-end manufacturing, and the airport economy. This fund will adopt a "capital + industry" model to cultivate and strengthen the airport-adjacent industrial cluster.

Talent Exchange: Both parties will deepen the mutual promotion and progress of talent from state-owned enterprises in Suzhou and Wuxi through various forms such as temporary assignments, post delegations, two-way exchanges, and joint training. This will strengthen support for board-level performance.

The two parties have clearly defined their goal of creating a benchmark centered around the airport. They will focus on sectors such as the low-altitude economy, aviation logistics, high-end manufacturing, and green energy to jointly cultivate emerging industrial clusters, creating a new growth pole for Suzhou-Wuxi new quality productive forces. They will establish a collaborative mechanism based on resource sharing, benefit sharing, risk sharing, and equal rights and responsibilities, aiming to create a model for cross-city state-owned enterprise cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Expectations are high for Suzhou and Wuxi to work together to strengthen the airport economy and contribute to the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.