Central China Metropolitan to Lay Light RailThe first-phase construction of a light rail transit system in the urban area of this capital of central China's Hubei Province has got approval from the central government.The light rail, which will be 10.13 kilometers long, is scheduled to be completed in four years. Major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan are working on the construction plans of light rails. Approved by the State Development Planning Commission, construction of the high-speed, safe, pollution-free elevated transportation link in the city will be built with 200 million yuan (US$24 million) of national bonds issued for the year 2000 in the first-phase of work. The total investment for the railway project is expected to hit 2 billion yuan (US$240 million). The railway, designed with 10 elevated stops, will have 52 cars at the beginning of its operation, which is expected to have a one- way passenger handling capacity of 11,400 people per hour. The city is also planning to build its own subway. Currently only four cities in China have subways: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and another 10 cities including Shenzhen, Nanjing and Wuhan are planning to build urban rail systems. |
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