China invested 155 billion yuan (19.7 billion U.S. dollars) in railway construction in 2006, sources with the Ministry of Railways said yesterday.

Over the year, 912 kilometers of new lines were completed, 1,016 kilometers of single track lines were double-tracked, and operations began on 1,609 kilometers of lines.

In 2006, construction began on the Beijing-Tianjin and ten other passenger lines, and the electrified Beijing-Shanghai line began operation.

China plans more than 200 rail projects, with a total investment of 1.25 trillion yuan, from 2006 to 2010.

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