The new rail, developed by the Anshan Iron and Steel Complexes in northeast China, is now ready for mass production after passing the official test of the Ministry of Railway Wednesday.

The new rail is reinforced with vanadium and rare earth, the Complexes sources said.

China's railway authority has raised the speed limit of its trains several times in recent years to make the sector more competitive with air and other travel means.

The country's express trains now travel at about 150 kilometers per hour. The authority hopes to raise that to 200 kilometers per hour in the near future, and the development of new heavy rails is vital for that goal.

(Xinhua News Agency 09/30/2001)