Subway projects in 22 cities given go-ahead

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-21 13:34

As many as 79 subway projects in 22 cities have been approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, the China Business News reported Friday, citing a senior official of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD).

The subway lines will be built around 2015, with lengths totaling 2,259.84 km and overall investment amounting to 882 billion yuan ($129.11 billion), said Lu Kehua, head of the urban development department of MOHURD.

As of the end of 2008, China has 29 urban mass transit lines in 10 cities, with a total mileage of 776 km and annual traffic volume reaching 2.21 billion, Lu said.

About 50 subways are under construction in 15 cities with mileages totaling 1,154 km, he added.

The State Council sets three criteria on assessing a city's application for subway projects: the city's urban population should exceed 3 million, its general domestic product should surpass 100 billion yuan, and it can collect over 10 billion yuan in fiscal revenues, according to the China Business News.