30 000 km of high-speed rail lines to give impetus to economy

Beijing. June 28. Silkroadnews - China announced the decision to build 30,000 kilometers of high-speed railway links connecting 80% of cities with population of more than 1 million by 2020, which, according to experts, will boost the economy, Global Times reports.
China will promote the development of infrastructure for the transport network, as stipulated by a three-year plan published by the Ministry of Transport.
A developed high-speed railway network will allow China to create 19 “urban agglomerations”, for example, the urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River Delta, with a higher competitiveness in the economy, said Sun Zhang, a professor at Shanghai Tongji University.
This is a successful experience, confirmed at the international level, Sun said, noting that urban agglomerations will be the main stimulus for the country’s economic growth in the future.
By the end of 2017, China had 25,000 kilometers of high-speed railways throughout the country.
According to Sun, an extended railway system will transfer logistics from highways to railways, thus, such development could significantly reduce the cost of logistics, which will be beneficial for the industry.
China also plans next year to complete testing of a “smart” high-speed train, which will operate on a new line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou, co-organizers of the Winter Olympic Games in 2022.