Railway Shortens Distance from Western to Eastern ChinaConstruction of a railway connecting Chongqing, in Southwest China and Huaihua, in Central China's Hunan Province will start at the end of September this year, said sources from Ministry of Railway.The 603-kilometer railway, one of ten key infrastructure projects in west China this year, will cost 18 billion yuan (about 2.17 billion U.S. dollars). It will shorten the land distance between western and eastern China by 270 to 550 kilometers and will enable western regions to export their products overseas. The single-line electrified railway is designed to transport five million passengers annually. The railway runs through areas inhabited by 13 million people of different ethnic groups and is expected to benefit local people. Eight tunnels of over five kilometers in length each and nine large bridges account for 50 percent of the total railway length. The railway is expected to be completed by 2005. |
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