The Chinese government is to invest US$215bn (”111bn) in the country”s rail network and $285bn (”147bn) into road development, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The enormous development in the country over the past two decades has left the road and rail systems struggling to accommodate demand. Cars are becoming increasingly popular, with vehicle ownership up some 14m since 2000. With the new investments the road system is set to gain 85,000km within the next 30 years, the report said. The rail network is expected to be 20% bigger by 2010.