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Express railway plans unveiled

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-24 09:43

Detailes of the country's second intercity express railway were unveiled yesterday. It will be between Jiujiang, on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province.

Jiangxi was selected for the second intercity express because it sits in the economic corridor along the Yangtze River and serves as a transport hub in east China, according to industry experts. It's also an important link on the Beijing-Kowloon line that connects the capital to Hong Kong.

The Nanchang-Jiujiang intercity railway will start at Lushan, a popular summer resort in Jiujiang City, and follow the existing Beijing-Kowloon line within Jiangxi and end at Nanchang's north station, said Ling Chengxing, deputy governor of Jiangxi.

Almost 97 kilometers of new track will be laid, Ling said at the launch of the Jiangxi Provincial Railway Construction Group Company. The company will be responsible for the planning, design, construction, management and operation of all railways in Jiangxi.

The railway is expected to cost 6.16 billion yuan (US$770 million). The Jiangxi provincial government and the Ministry of Railways will each provide half of the funds.

The project is to be completed in 2009.