China's economy saw a steady and rapid growth over the past 20 years. The length of railway in China has reached more than 71,500 kilometers. The Chinese railways have undergone four major upgrades over the past five years, covering about 13,000 kilometers of railroad and raising train speed remarkably.

However, the remarkable economic accomplishments have also become a double-edged sword as more and more people are becoming mobile. The pressure is well felt during China's biggest holiday, the Spring Festival, valued by all people as a season for family reunions.

China vows to improve its overall railway systems significantly in the coming years. The Chinese Ministry of Railways has outlined a plan on the railway scientific and technological development by 2015. The plan lists a series of tasks and targets of the Chinese railways in the next decade or longer years. Priorities will be imposed on the development of the following fields:

• Overall application of information technology, and acceleration of the railway informatization
• Establishing the safety monitoring network to form a safety equipment protection system
• Developing high-speed technology and constructing high-speed railway lines.
• Developing the railway environment protection technology to cope with the demand of sustainable development

Please click here for more details of the development plan on the above subjects: PLAN

Meanwhile, the Chinese railways will open wider to global investment in line with China's commitment to WTO. The Ministry of Railways is drafting a series of investment policies to secure fair market conditions for healthy competition.