Mid-Section of passenger rail soon

China is installing railway lines as quick as it can. A railway line linking central China’s Wuhan City, seen here, to northern Shijiazhuang City will start construction soon. This will be, according to China News Services, the middle section for a passenger-only rail line between Beijing and Guangzhou.

There are 838 kilometers to build to join the other two sections but, when in place, it will allow trains traveling at up to 350 kilometers per hour. Price is RMB74.3 billion, or about $9.89 billion.

Completion is due in 2010 when it will halve the travel time from Guangzhou to Beijing to 12 hours and from Wuhan to Beijing to 6 hours.

A feasibility study on the railway section has been finished on Thursday by the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC), entrusted by the State Development and Reform Commission and it now appears work will proceed.