RMB 220.9 Billion

The Ministry of Railways reports the total cost of the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway at RMB 220.9 billion, or RMB 167.6 million per kilometer for the 1,318-kilometer line. Its construction consumed over 27 million tons of cement, 4.7 million tons of steel and 60 million cubic meters (376,000 tons) of concrete, and created more than two million jobs in the areas the railway runs through. The high-speed train that serves the route is an assembly of close to 100,000 parts, produced by nearly 600 companies over 20-plus municipalities, provinces, or autonomous regions. The train represents a complete chain of new and hi-tech research, development and application. Experts estimate that the railway, open for business on June 30, will jack up the GDP growth in the settlements lining the route by 19 to 21 percent.