China's railways go all-out to serve macro-control

Despite much strained capacity, Chinese railways managed to further increase transport of key materials for the nation's macro-control.

China's railways shipped 480 million tons of coal in the first half of this year, up 12.2 percent over the same period last year.

Shipment of grain rose 13.1 percent to 55.59 million tons, chemical fertilizer and other materials for agriculture use rose 5.6 percent to 33.33 million tons, and oil rose 12.1 percent to 58.67 million tons, according to the Ministry of Railways.

An official said the ministry regards ensuring the transport of key materials as a major political task and has always put the state interests above everything else. It has adopted a series of special measures to ensure its fulfillment, which includes:

-- Giving priorities to the transport of such key materials as grain, coal and chemical fertilizer. The ministry has allocated 90 percent of its cargo freight capacity to guarantee the transport of key materials;

-- Optimizing management and further tapping the potentials; and

-- Raising train speed and increasing freight load.

The official said Chinese railways have contributed greatly to the ongoing macro-control of the economy and normal running of the national economy.

"As railway freight of key materials continues to grow, grain prices are stabilized and shortage of coal is alleviated," he said.

Hu Yadong, vice minister of railways, said earlier that there is an urgent need to quicken the construction of new railways and the modernization of rolling stock to fundamentally solve the shortfall of railway freight capacity.

China's railways in operation account for only 6 percent of the world's total, yet it shoulders 25 percent of the freight volume in the world. To date, all the major trunk lines have been operating at full capacity.

Due to the serious shortfall in freight capacity, only one third of the freight demand could be met at present, according to the ministry.

Source:Xinhua