Railways best serve our transport needs

China began building super highways across the country about two decades ago, and now its 45,400 km network is second only to the United States. According to plans, by 2030, a total of 85,000 km of super highways will be built, comparable to the length of the US highway system in 2004.

But with the price of oil hitting the $100/barrel mark, cars lining up in front of gas stations in Guangdong, and traffic jams in Beijing, it is a sure sign that the auto-economy is not going to work in China.

The emphasis on cars is going to change, as in the 11th Five-Year Plan starting in 2006, rail transportation is now in high gear. Within this planning period, a total 125 billion yuan ($16.9 billion) will be used to build 19,800 km of new railways, of which, 9,800 km will be dedicated to passenger lines.