One of the Shanghai-Nanjing high-speed links will be axed, adding 20 minutes to the trip between the two cities, according to Jiangsu's newspaper, Modern Express.

Three stops, Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou, will be added making the travel time 99 minutes instead of 79 minutes.

The Shanghai Railway Bureau, however, explained that the adjustment was due to the opening up of the Hangzhou-Ningbo high-speed railway.

The Shanghai-Beijing high-speed railway already offers a non-stop high-speed dash between Shanghai and Nanjing.

The new Hangzhou-Ningbo line, still undergoing trial runs, will shorten travel time between Hangzhou and Ningbo from two hours to about 35 minutes.