Web Exclusive

China to add 20,000 km of rail in west regions

By Qiang Xiaoji (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-07-16 12:00
Large Medium Small

China plans to add 20,000 kilometers of operational railways to the network in the western regions in the next 10 years, involving a total investment of 1.5 trillion yuan ($221.51 billion), the China Business News reported Friday.

Related readings:
China to add 20,000 km of rail in west regions China, Argentina sign $10b railway deals
China to add 20,000 km of rail in west regions Qinghai-Tibet Railway achieves zero garbage emission
China to add 20,000 km of rail in west regions Two new railways in China's western inland
China to add 20,000 km of rail in west regions High-speed railway to link China's west with biggest cities

The railroad construction projects are part of the 23 major projects that the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, announced recently, as part of the Western Development Program, the paper said.

The 23 projects will be launched this year, with a total investment of 682.2 billion yuan.

According to the plan, by 2020, the total length of China's railway network will exceed 120,000 kilometers, and the railways in the western part of China will be expanded to over 50,000 kilometers.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Railways, the total length of operational railways in the western regions increased from 20,000 kilometers in 2000 to 30,000 kilometers at the end of 2008, accounting for 36 percent of the total length of China's operational railways.