To boost more coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, 23 new intercity rail lines will be built by the end of 2030, according to the company that will make the investment.
The planned lines will form a network whereby travel time between major cities in the region will be one to two hours and that between cities and their surrounding towns will be half an hour to an hour.
The planned lines with a total length of 3,400 kilometers will link big cities, major towns and important industrial zones.
The network consists of three main lines connecting Beijing with Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei, and Qinhuangdao, a beach resort and port city in Hebei.
The central government expects the coordinated development in the region will help readjust regional economic structure and nurture new growth sectors.
The medium-term target of the strategy is, by 2020, to control the permanent population of Beijing under 23 million, and to relieve Beijing's "urban illnesses" such as air pollution and road congestion.
In the long term, the aim is an integrated region with better economic structure, a cleaner environment and improved public services. The integrated region will be competitive and with a worldwide influence.
