Investment increases overall for transportation industry in Q1

China invested 488.9 billion yuan ($72.7 billion) in transportation infrastructure projects in the first quarter, up 4.8 percent from last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Sunday.

Ministry spokesman Wu Chungeng said at a news conference that China's transportation investment remained stable in the first quarter of the year as a result of continued government efforts to improve infrastructure.

More than 101.2 billion yuan was pumped into railway projects in the January-April period, and 15.5 billion yuan into the civil aviation sector, increasing investment by 10 percent and 10.7 percent year-on-year respectively, according to the ministry.