Residents demand proposed railway pass through their city
Thousands of residents in Linshui county, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, took to the streets on Saturday to demand a proposed regional railway pass through their county, amid long-term disputes over economic resources.
The residents gathered in the morning and marched on the streets for several hours. Pictures online showed marchers holding signs saying "We want development, prosperity and a railway," "Do not abandon Linshui's 1 million residents," and "We want the railway to pass through our county." Police officers could be seen in the crowd.
Local residents said that they direly need the planned railway linking Dazhou in Sichuan to Chongqing to pass through their county, as there is no railway station in Linshui.
The march came after two different answers on the proposed route were given by local authorities.
According to the Guangdong-based Nandu Daily, authorities in Guang'an city, which administers Linshui, said on their official website on May 7 that the proposed route will pass through Quxian county and Guang'an, following the "west line plan," in response to the question from a resident in Guang'an on April 30.
The response also said that Guang'an will only accept the west line plan.
This response triggered anger from residents in Dazhu and Linshui counties, as they had high hopes for a railway, after Dazhu authorities said in October 2014 that the railway would go through the two counties using an "east line plan," The Beijing News reported.
Authorities in Dazhou replied on their official website on May 11, saying that the 205-kilometer railway will pass through Dazhu and Linshui counties, adding that preparations are underway for construction to begin in 2016.
A resident in Linshui surnamed He told the Global Times Sunday that although the county is under the administration of Guang'an, a city which has already had many railways, Linshui has none.
"Our county has many mechanical factories and we cannot develop without railways," said He, adding that Guang'an was trying to grab resources to facilitate its development.
Authorities in Dazhou and Guang'an told the Nandu Daily that the route is still under study and will receive final approval from the State Council.
"Guang'an is favored as it is the hometown of Deng Xiaoping. [Linshui's] population is twice that of Guang'an but we have no railways," said He.
However, some Guang'an residents said that the railway will drive the economic development of the whole region and a route passing through their city would be a better choice.
