As things stand at present, there are 150 major railway projects under construction nationwide, and the total investment in these projects has exceeded 12 trillion yuan, making railway construction a principal lever to spur domestic demand and maintain economic growth.

The Nanguang Railway (from Nanning to Guangzhou), on which construction started on November 9, will be 577 kilometers in length and serve 23 stations, including Zhaoqing, Fuoshan, and others. On completion this line, whose annual freight traffic will surpass 20 million tons, is expected to be not only a highly-frequented commuter line but also a catalyst for economic development. It will facilitate the transport of agricultural produce such as sweet corns and jasmine tea from Guangxi Autonomous Region to markets in south China.

Since the beginning of October construction has started on 11 primary railway projects with lines from Beijing to Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang to Wuhan, Tianjin to Qinhuangdao, etc, a scale and intensity which is unprecedented in China’s history.

Lu Chunfang, Vice-Minister of the Railway Ministry was quoted as saying that investment in railways in the fourth quarter of this year will surpass 150 billion yuan, which is almost equal to the total invested in the first three quarters.

(China.org.cn by Xiang Bin November 11, 2008)