(Yicai Global) Nov. 27 -- China's rail mileage will increase by about 20 percent to 150,000 kilometers within three years, with high-speed rail lines contributing 30,000 kilometers in a transport network that will be more convenient for travelers, according to plans released on Nov. 24 by the central government.

The national rail network will cover almost all cities with a population of more than 200,000 in urban areas and high-speed links will cover 80 percent of major cities, the plans show. Trips from Beijing to most provincial capitals will take less than eight hours and those between large and medium cities will be four hours or less. Trips within main city groups will be as short as 30 minutes to two hours.

In July this year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that by the end of 2016, the country's high-speed rail network covered 23,000 kilometers, up 14,000 kilometers from the end of 2012.