(Yicai) Jan. 5 -- China's high-speed railroad network, which is the largest in the world, will expand by about 10,000 kilometers over the next five years to 60,000 km.

The overall railroad network will reach around 180,000 km by 2030, including 60,000 km of high-speed rails, China State Railway Group said in its annual work conference yesterday. The double-track rate will top 64 percent, while the electrification rate will reach 78 percent, it added.

China will build a high-speed railroad network consisting of "eight vertical and eight horizontal" lines by 2030, the country's railroad operator pointed out. It will strengthen strategic backbone channels, significantly improve regional interconnection and intercommunication levels, and greatly enhance freight network capacity, serving major national strategies and promoting economic and social development.

The railroad network in China reached 165,000 km as of Dec. 31, including over 50,000 km of high-speed rails, China Railway said. Relevant fixed asset investment rose 6 percent to CNY901.5 billion (USD129.1 billion) last year from 2024, with the country putting 3,109 km of new lines into operation, including 2,862 km of high-speed ones.

China's railroads transported nearly 4.3 billion passengers and 4.1 billion tons of cargo in 2024, up 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively, from the previous year. Transport revenue rose 3 percent to CNY1 trillion (USD143.2 billion).

For this year, China Railway said it aims to raise the passenger and freight transport volumes by 3.5 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, fully complete national railroad investment tasks, put into operation over 2,000 km of new lines, and promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the rail system.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Martin Kadiev