To energize the development of western regions and maintain
the prosperity of coastal areas, the Shanghai Railway Administration
will endeavor to perfect the inland and coastal railway networks
it is responsible for over the next five years.
"The railways
must provide fast and efficient links to connect East China
with the rest of the country at this time of rapid development,"
said Lu Dongfu, director of the administration.
As the economy
develops, the present railway network is becoming more and
more inadequate. This demands that the construction of more
railways be placed high on the administration's agenda.
The administration's
present plan is to build four latitudinal and four longitudinal
major lines by 2005.
To coordinate construction
with the development of western China, a railway from Nanjing
in Jiangsu to Xi'an in Shaanxi is to be built.
Railways along
the Yangtze River are another focus of the construction campaign,
including lines from Nanjing to Wuhu in Anhui Province and
from Tongling in Anhui to Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province.
To vitalize the
development of the economically backward city of Longyan in
Fujian Province, a railway is to be extended from Ganzhou,
in the same province, to this former revolutionary base.
The new longitudinal
lines will run along the east coast, with one connecting Ningbo
in Zhejiang Province to Xiamen in Fujian Province via Wenzhou
and Fuzhou.
The present Beijing-Shanghai
railway is to be electrified, as it cuts costs and also reduces
pollution.
However, the long-debated
expressway between the two municipalities is still on the
discussion table.
Zhu Xiansheng,
a senior engineer of the administration, said it has not yet
been decided whether to build a conventional or a high-speed
railroad.
The successful
operation of the magnetic levitation train being built in
Pudong will serve as a decisive reference for the project,
Zhu said.
Lu said the total
investment in these railway construction projects will surpass
those of the past 10 years and that he welcomes non-governmental
capital to take part in the construction, though government
support will provide the backbone of the investment.
This year, the
administration will complete the electrification of some sections
of existing railways and other work related with the project.
(China Daily 03/22/2001)
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