Rail system to grow by 4,000 km in 2018

Much of 732 billion yuan budget is for high-speed system

China plans to spend 732 billion yuan ($112.7 billion) on railway projects in 2018 to continue building its world-leading rail system, said Lu Dongfu, general manager of China Railway Corp, the nation's railway operator, on Tuesday.

Some 4,000 kilometers of new tracks are planned to be put into operation in the coming year, and 87.5 percent or 3,500 km will be high-speed railway tracks, Lu said during the company's annual meeting.