Economic Review: Electrified railways promise faster travel

The electrification of China's 80-year-old arterial Zhegan (or Hangzhou-Zhuzhou) railway is expected to be completed this month, allowing for a higher speed limit this year.

To launch the country's sixth round of railway speed-rises, the Ministry of Railways is working to electrify major lines to upgrade their speed to 200 km per hour.

At 942 km, the Zhegan railway running between Hangzhou city in eastern Zhejiang Province and Zhuzhou city in the central-south Hunan Province, is the most vital east-west rail route south of Yangtze River, China's longest river.

A ministry spokesman said the renovated line would ease transport pressure between two prosperous economic areas: the Shanghai-centered Yangtze River Delta and the Guangzhou-centered Pearl River Delta.

Besides Zhegan, China's first track to become an electrified high-speed line, the Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou and the German-made Jiaozhou Bay-Jinan tracks are all undergoing the electrification process.

After the new round of speed rises this year, the total length of rail routes with speeds over 120 km per hour will be 22,000 km, of which more than 5,300 km will boast speeds of 200 km per hour.

China ranks the third in the world after Russia and Germany in the length of electrified track.

The Ministry of Railways plans to electrify 6,000 km of track in the 11th Five-Year Program period from 2006 to 2010.

Under the program, China's total railway length is expected to extend from 74,000 to 85,000 km, of which, double tracked route mileage will be 35,000 km, and the electrified track routes will also account for 35,000 km by the year 2010.

Source: Xinhua