China´s high-speed railways expanding fast
http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20080802/101896.shtml

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Source: CCTV.com

08-02-2008 10:39

Friday saw the opening of three major railways in China. All are high-speed rails, with trains running at more than 200 kilometers an hour.


Visitors walk past bullet trains at a station in Beijing,
on July 22, the latest high-speed intercity railway
transport between Beijing and Tianjin. China's first very
high-speed rail line went into operation on Friday.(AFP)


One of the three commuter lines runs between Beijing and nearby Tianjin. 16 other lines, located all over China, are under construction. One of the major lines under construction will be able to claim the title of the world's longest high-speed commuter railway -- that's the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Line, which started construction in April.

The Yangzte Delta Region and the Pearl River Delta region, two of the richest areas of the country, are considering regional railway networks to respond to the increasing demand of inter- and intra-regional transport.

It's estimated that by 2020, China's high-speed railways will total more than 20 thousand kilometers, criss-crossing Chinese soil.

Four new railways approved for construction
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008...ent_6877764.htm
By Shangguan Zhoudong (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2008-07-25 15:17 Comments(0) PrintMailFour new railways, including one dedicated passenger line, have been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, for construction, said the commission in statements released on its website yesterday.


The 261.3-km dedicated passenger line, linking Tianjin Municipality and Qinhuangdao in neighboring Hebei province, will begin from the Tianjin Railway Station and pass through Tianjin's Binhai New Area, Tangshan and Beidaihe in Hebei province.


The second one is the Lijiang-Shangri La Railway with a total length of 161km. The interprovincial railway starts from the Lijiang Railway Station and will route through Tiger Leaping Gorge and Xiaozhongdian, scenic spots in Yunnan province.(This forms part of the second railway into Tibet)


The longest one among the four newly-approved railways is the Xinjiang Kashi-Xinjiang Hetian Railway. Located in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the 487 km-line will pass through counties like Yingjisha, Shache, Yecheng and Pishan.


The last one is the Xi'an-Pingliang Railway that starts from Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province and goes through Liquan, Qianxian, Yongshou, Binxian and Changwu counties in the province and Jingchuan county in Gansu province. Finally, the railway will link up with the Baoji-Zhongwei Railway at the Pingliang South Railway Station.


China's railway construction is in full swing in recent years. The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, the most expensive construction project with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, started construction in April this year.


Additionally, the country's first 350kmh-passenger line between Beijing and Tianjin, which is now under trial operation, is scheduled for launch on August 1 this year.


China plans to build a total of 7,820 km rail lines this year and foreign investment shall be introduced in the construction of railways, according to the Ministry of Railways. The ministry also said a total of 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) will be invested in China's railway construction this year.


China now has more than 76,000 km of railways, ranking third in the world by length after the United States and Russia.

I would love to see a high speed rail link between Beijing and Karachi, what a joureny that would be!

I truly hope one day that will happen.

It is not a dream anymore.
According to the article, one of the four lines apporved for construction is the link between Kashi and Hotan (487 Km). Do you know how close that is to the Sino-Pakistani border?

That would be an extremely exciting venture. I can imagine the amount of engineering effort and technology required to accomplish such a mission and the trade these routes would open up. China's governement is truly far sighted and an excellent example to the whole world for its grass roots democracy.