FAST TRACK IS THE PLAN FOR CITY TRANSITS

China's urban rail network, including subways and light rail systems, is on a fast-track to expansion in a high-speed programme spanning the turn of the century. The Ministry of Construction says over 20 cities have laid the planning groundwork to build passenger carrying systems aimed at easing traffic congestion on the roads. For years the government has encouraged cities with a population over a million to develop transit systems. However, the number of such cities has grown faster than the local transit facilities can keep pace. Only Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai have a total length of 60 km of subway lines. Urban light rail services are virtually non-existent in China. But now, with 20 cities in the planning stages for subway and urban light rail, transit, transportation and traffic congestion will see improvement by the year 2000.