China’s railways back on track

Overview

Beijing has launched an ambitious programme to increase the capacity of China's rail network, which is unable to keep up with the rising demand for its services. Planned projects will separate passenger from freight lines, upgrade existing lines through electrification and double-tracking, and roll out new lines across the country.

To fund the expected $250 billion infrastructure programme, the government has diversified its funding channels. Railway development has so far relied on...