Suzhou's Growing Airport Connectivity: A New Urban Terminal at the Train Station

Near Suzhou Railway Station, passengers may soon be able to check in for flights and obtain boarding passes. On August 13, Wuxi Sunan International Airport Group Co., Ltd. and Suzhou City Construction Investment Development (Group) Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Suzhou. "The newly added Suzhou Railway Station Urban Terminal is undoubtedly the top priority of this collaboration," stated Huang Jian, Party Secretary and Chairman of Sunan Shuofang International Airport Co., Ltd. This development means that Suzhou, a city without its own civil aviation airport, will gain another off-site urban terminal, allowing residents to complete check-in and baggage drop-off procedures, enabling remote check-in for Sunan Shuofang Airport.

Over the past few years, connection services between Suzhou and Sunan Shuofang Airport have continuously improved. In 2023, the Suzhou High-tech Zone Urban Terminal was officially inaugurated, with a dedicated shuttle route taking approximately 40 minutes from the terminal to Wuxi Shuofang Airport. Following the opening of the expressway on the New Wu District section of National Highway 312, the travel time from Suzhou's Middle Ring North Line to Wuxi Shuofang Airport has been reduced to just 15 minutes. This time, airport services are being directly integrated into Suzhou's city center, specifically at Building B of the Suzhou Railway Station City Investment Business Center.

Consequently, the service network of Wuxi Shuofang Airport will expand from areas like Suzhou High-tech Zone and Suzhou Industrial Park further into the central urban area of Suzhou, connecting to a core transport hub that integrates railways, metro lines, and buses. An airport now serves two cities, providing the airport with a larger passenger catchment area and offering Suzhou a more convenient aviation gateway. The Suzhou-Wuxi region is continuously transforming its geographical proximity into functional integration.

Across the Yangtze River Delta, the pace of transportation integration is accelerating. According to Suzhou Rail Transit Group, the western extension of Suzhou Metro Line 3 will connect with Wuxi Metro Line 3. Additionally, the Jingang Station of Suzhou Metro Line 10 in Zhangjiagang has reserved conditions for connection with Jiangyin in Wuxi. This means that in the future, Suzhou residents can take Metro Line 3 directly to Shuofang Airport.

Originally titled: Suzhou Gains Another Urban Terminal Despite Lacking Its Own Civil Aviation Airport. Column Editor: Huang Yuyue. Source: Author: Huang Jiaqi, Xinmin Evening News.