China plans to invest at least 160 billion yuan (US$20 billion)
in building railways in eastern
Zhejiang Province in the coming five years, provincial
officials report.
Economic powerhouse Zhejiang reached a deal last month with the
Ministry of Railways to share the investment of between 160 billion
yuan and 180 billion yuan (US$22.5 million), according to the
officials with the development and reform commission and the
government of the province.
"Zhejiang aims to have a modern railway network in five years,
which enables a passenger to travel from the capital Hangzhou to
any other city in the province within three hours," an official
said.
Zhejiang plans to build 800 km and renovate 500 km of railways
by 2010, the official said.
The Ningbo-Hangzhou-Nanjing line will start construction this
year and will allow speeds of 250-300 km per hour, while the
high-speed line from Hangzhou to Shanghai is under preparation.
There are 10 trunk and extension lines in the province, with a
total mileage of 1,212 km. Every one million people in Zhejiang
have 26.7 km of railways, less than half of the national
average.
(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2006)