China has started construction of a railway corridor in a latest move to rejuvenate the country's the rust belt northeast.

The railway section from Baihe to Helong, both situated near the border between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), broke ground for construction on April 28.

On completion, Baihe-Helong railway line, with a length of 103.7 km, will form into the railway corridor by linking up the existing railway routes at both ends, according to Gao Jie, deputy chief of the Korean Autonomous Prefectural Government of Yanbian, which exercises jurisdiction over Baihe and Helong.

China is determined to build a 1,389-km railway corridor that will start from Mudanjiang City of Heilongjiang Province in the north, pass through Tumen and Tonghua cities in Jilin Province, as well as Dandong and Zhuanghe cities in Liaoning Province, and end at Dalian, a port city in Liaoning, in the south, according to Gao.

Construction of the projected railway corridor will cost 12.74 billion yuan (US$1.57 billion) and require completion of three new railway sections, including the Baihe-Helong route, three joining facilities, as well as renovation of the existing railroads.

"The railway corridor will help advance opening of the eastern part of the rust belt region and promote international cooperation on the Tumen River along China's border with DPRK and Russia," said Gao.

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