High-speed rail lines to cover 10,000 km in 2012

(Ecns.cn)--Some 6,366 kilometers of new rail lines will be put into service in 2012, more than three times as much as last year, the People's Daily reported on Thursday.

By the end of 2012, the high speed railways will increase by 3,500 kilometers, bringing the total range to 10,000 kilometers.

According to Yang Zhongmin, director of the planning department of the Railway Ministry, rail lines from Beijing to Guangzhou along the Beijing-Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang-Wuhan, Wuhan-Guangzhou and Guangzhou-Shenzhen lines will open this year, which could save up to two hours for passengers from Beijing to Zhengzhou, four hours for those going to Wuhan, and eight for travelers to Shenzhen.

Passengers from Beijing to Shenyang and Harbin will also save three and five hours respectively, thanks to the planned high speed rail lines from Beijing to Harbin. The line passes through the Beijing-Tianjin, Tianjin-Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao-Shenyang and Harbin-Dalian high-speed rails. Time taken from Harbin to Dalian will be shortened to three hours from the previous nine hours.

From Beijing headed south along the Beijing-Shanghai, Shanghai-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Ningbo, Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou, Wenzhou-Fuzhou and Fuzhou-Xiamen rails, the coastal line will reduce travel time from Shanghai to Xiamen to four hours, and that from Beijing to Xiamen to eight hours.

Intercity railways from Wuhan to Yichang, Nanjing to Hangzhou, and Hefei to Bengbu will also go into operation this year.