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Expanding the National Rail Network According to the Ministry of Railways, the national rail network is set to grow by 40,000 km by 2020, with a total investment of over RMB 5 trillion. By 2020 the country’s rail network will stretch over 120,000 km. According to the plan, China will approve the construction of 10,000 km in both 2009 and 2010. Yang Zhongmin, director of the Railway Ministry’s planning department, says that in 2009 RMB 600 billion will be spent on railway infrastructure. The project will consume 20 million tons of steel and 120 million tons of cement, and create 6 million jobs, increasing GDP growth by 1.5 percent. Currently, China’s railway mileage amounts to nearly 80,000 km. Railways have long played an important role in both passenger and goods transportation in China. |
