China will spend 92 billion euros by 2012 as part of plans to double the size of its high speed rail network, the Ministry of Railways announced on Wednesday 28 July. China already has 7000 km of high speed lines in operation and represents a huge market.

China is home to the world’s second largest railway network after the United States and intends to accelerate expansion.

With the announcement of the 92 billion euro investment, China intends to bring its high speed network to 12,000 km within the next two years and to over 16,000 in the next ten, with high speed lines expected to link 70% of the country’s metropolises by 2020.