Chinese rail link

Construction of a major new rail link connecting Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, with Guangzhou, the capital of the southern Guangdong Province, is expected to begin next week (13 October 2008), a local official has said.

The CNY 85.8 billion (US$ 12.53) investment for the 857 km electric railway is being met by the Railway Ministry, Guizhou and Guangdong provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

“The new line is expected to be operational in 2012,” said Wang Tongjun, deputy head of Chengdu Railway Bureau, which administrates railways in the Sichuan and Guizhou provinces and the Chongqing Municipality.

Once completed, the line will cut travel time between the two cities from 20 hours to just 6 hours. Trains are expected to operate at up to 200 km/h, with a daily capacity of 100 trains and an annual goods capacity of 25 million tonnes.

“The line will enhance the transportation of goods from southwest China to the booming Pearl River Delta areas, including Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau,” said Mr Wang.