On January 2, construction began on the Hefei–Wuhan section of the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu High-Speed Railway along the Yangtze River (hereinafter referred to as the Hefei–Wuhan section of the Yangtze River High-Speed Railway). Once completed, the project will further improve the Yangtze River corridor of China's "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network.

The Hefei–Wuhan section of the Yangtze River High-Speed Railway is located in Anhui and Hubei provinces. The line starts at Hefei South Station of the Hefei railway hub, passes through Lu'an urban area and Jinzhai County in Anhui Province, and Macheng City and Hong'an County in Hubei Province, before reaching the Wuhan railway hub and connecting via Wuhan Tianhe Station to the under-construction Wuhan–Yichang section of the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu High-Speed Railway along the Yangtze River. The line has a total length of approximately 360 kilometers, a design speed of 350 kilometers per hour, and a total of 8 stations including Hefei South. The construction period is 4.5 years. The Hefei–Wuhan section is an important component of the Yangtze River corridor of China's "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network and holds a highly important position in the rail network.

Once the Hefei–Wuhan section of the Yangtze River High-Speed Railway is completed, a new high-speed rail corridor will be formed between Hefei and Wuhan, further optimizing the layout of the railway network in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and facilitating travel for people along the route. It is of great significance for accelerating the construction of a comprehensive transportation system along the Yangtze River, better serving coordinated regional development, and promoting high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.