China Plans Transport Expansion

China will expand its subway, light rail transport and high-speed railway networks in the next two decades, official sources indicate.

From 2001-2005, China plans to extend its subway systems to 200 kilometres in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Nanjing, Qingdao, Dalian, Shenyang, Kunming, Anshan, Changchun and Harbin.

Subways now exist only in the first four of those cities.

Even in those four areas, the total railway length is just 83.5 kilometres, far less than that of similar areas in developed countries, official figures revealed.

Zhang Kuifu, the secretary general of the semi-official China Urban Public Transport Association, said that the subway projects are expected to ease mounting urban communication pressures.

Predictions put China's urban population at 685 million by the end of 2010, which would place tremendous pressure on mass transportation systems.

To help relieve congestion, Zhang said that light railway networks will also be established in some major cities.

He said that by the end of 2025, China will build 550 kilometres of light railways in some major cities.

Hua Dehong, the senior engineer with the High Speed Railway Office under the Ministry of Railways, revealed that China will develop high speed railways in the next five years.

Besides the well-known Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway, other rapid transit networks will also be established linking areas of high economic growth.

Hua said that the Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway plan is still in the planning stages. He could not give a timetable for the project's end.

To get things moving, the New Technology Development Centre under the China Association of Science and Technology and communication authorities will sponsor an international railway and urban transport exhibition this November in Beijing. Many leading foreign railway companies are expected to take part in the show.

An official with the State Development Planning Commission said that all foreign railway production companies would be able to bid for China's projects.(China Daily)

Back to top
Copyright by People's Daily Online, All rights reserved