High-speed rail's performance rather persuasive

THE BEIJING-SHANGHAI HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY made nearly 6.6 billion yuan ($1 billion) in net profit last year. This should refute doubts about its profitability and sustainability, says an article posted on the National Radio of China website on Wednesday:

Statistics show the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Company's net assets hit 131.17 billion yuan by the end of last year, and its debt-to-asset ratio is 27.74 percent.

Among all the high-speed railways in China, the Beijing-Shanghai line has the best profit-making performance and has benefited places along the route, which connects 24 cities within a 4.5 hours' ride at most. Take Qufu, the hometown of Confucius in East China's Shandong, for example. The city's tourism revenue and economy have grown markedly since the high-speed railway came into service.